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Druidry Ancient and Modern
By Kenneth R. White Copyright 1997 and 2002 By Kenneth R. White. All Rights Reserved. The Roots and
Goals of Druidry Most of what we know
about the Druids of old comes from the writings of the Roman historians,
such as Caesar, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus. Caesar probably wrote the
most about the Celts and it must be considered that while he may have
admired them, he considered them to be the enemy. We must also remember
that at the time Caesar was in the process of conquering the continental
Celtic tribes, and was looking for support from Rome, so some of these
statements must be taken with a grain of salt. Diodorus Siculus:
"They (the Celts) have also certain philosophers and theologians who
are treated with great honor, whom they call Druids. They further make use
of Seers, thinking them worthy of praise." Strabo:
"Among all the tribes, generally speaking, there are three classes of
men held in special honor: The Bards, the Vates, and the Druids."
When we wish to
examine the duties or disciplines of the Druid we again turn to the Roman
historians. Strabo:
"The Bards are singers and poets; the Vates, interpreters of
sacrifice and natural philosophers; while the Druids, in addition to the
science of nature, study also moral philosophy." Caesar:
"The Druids officiate at the worship of the Gods, regulate public and
private sacrifices, and give rulings on all religious questions" and
"they act as judges in practically all disputes whether between
tribes or between individuals.…" The Druids also set
up "colleges" to which the nobles and those wishing to become
Druids would go to study. Caesar informs us: "The Druidic doctrine is
believed to have been found existing in Britain and thence imported to
Gaul; even today those who want to make a profound study of it generally
go to Britain for the purpose." The Druids didn't
record their lore in writing because as Caesar again informs us: "The
Druids believe that their religion forbids them to commit their teaching
to writing, although for most other purposes, such as public and private
accounts, the Gauls use the Greek alphabet. But I imagine that this rule
was originally established for another reason--because they did not want
their doctrine to become public property, and in order to prevent their
pupils from relying on the written word and neglecting to train their
memories; for it is usually found that when people have the help of texts,
they are less diligent in learning by heart, and let their memories
rust." We have some written
records from Ireland and Wales that can help us see into the Druid mind.
Christian scribes, who apparently were no longer bound by the Druid
prohibition against writing, recorded this great body of lore. Some of
these myths were written with a Christian slant. The monks attempted to
link some myths with the Bible. When these stories are read with this in
mind we can get a picture, albeit a small one, of what the Druids
believed. Greek and Roman
sources tell us that the Celts believed in the immortality of the soul and
in reincarnation. Caesar states that, "A lesson, which they take
particular pains to inculcate, is that the soul does not perish, but after
death passes from one body to another." This Druid belief of
the immortal soul was attributed to knowledge of the teachings of
Pythagoras. However, it is our belief that Pythagoras learned from the
concept of the immortal soul from the Druids, not the reverse, but this is
a subject for a later essay. There is also mention of the belief in
augury, divination, and the practice of human sacrifice. The Roman
writers, Caesar in particular, wrote of this practice with abhorrence,
obviously forgetting that they too prescribed to human sacrifice, not to
mention the sick sport that took place in the coliseum in Rome. Caesar colored much
of his writing in an effort to curry favor for his campaign against the
Celts of Gaul. There is some evidence for the practice of human sacrifice
in the archaeological record, but much more work needs to be done in this
area before we can be sure of the extent to which it occurred. It is
accepted that the Celts were headhunters. The Celts believed that the soul
resides in the head, and so in taking the head of an enemy they would gain
his power, and possibly decrease the possibility of having a powerful
enemy in the Otherworld. The Druids held so much influence over the tribal
kings and the general populace, it vexed the Romans and the latter decided
to exterminate the former. Many Druids were killed and sacred groves and
temples were destroyed. It is believed that some Druids escaped to
Britain, which was not yet under Roman dominion, though this sanctuary
would soon become their final resting place. In 61 A.D. the Roman governor
of Britain, Suetonius Paulinus, led the Roman Legions against the last
stronghold of the Druids, the Isle of Anglesey in North West Wales. Every
inhabitant of the island was put to the sword. In Ireland, Wales,
and parts of Scotland, things were different. The Romans never conquered
Ireland, Wales, or Scotland, and so the Druidic influence was felt in
these countries long after it had been exterminated in England and
continental Europe. In fact, the true demise of the Druids in these
countries was the coming of Christianity. The Druidry of today
is not what was practiced by the ancient Celts. We are learning, as a
tradition and we know there is a steep hill yet to climb. History has not
been kind to Druidry; we have been given a very one-sided, often hostile
view as to what the Druids were. There are few texts and no ancient tomes
of written lore held in secret that could reveal all the lost secrets of
Druidry. What we know of Druids must come from archaeology and the body of
literature that has survived from the Celtic Nations. Within the scraps of
folklore, Celtic literature, music, and buried in the dust of the ancient
raths and Sidhe mounds lie the answers. It will take time; this tradition
must be willing to grow and adapt as new knowledge is obtained. Over the past decade
many people have set out on a great voyage to understand Druidry. As the
understanding grew, the desires changed into recreating and reliving the
past of the Druid. People seeking spiritual growth and inner peace began
to worship the old way, they sought out the beliefs and practices of the
ancient Celt and began to call themselves Druids and their new spiritual
path Druidry. Even many of the old Druid orders, which have existed for a
hundred years or more, began to find the roots of the tree they called
Druidry. These orders had functioned for years as fraternal organizations
and charities. They eventually began to look to the pagan past for
fulfillment and a sense of purpose. As knowledge and understanding of
Druidry increased, people flocked to fill the Groves and Orders all across
Europe and the United States. We are engaged in the
creation of history, all the while drawing upon the ancient history of our
Ancestors to create this path that we might grow within its branches. This
path is very rewarding and fulfilling. Over time it teaches many valuable
lessons and sharpens skills that have long lied dormant within our souls.
Many of us who have walked the Druid path have had a taste of what this
path can eventually bring us. We wouldn't change the lessons we've learned
or the experiences we've had for all the treasures in the world. Druidism today is
going through a constant state of growth and discovery. As we learn more
about the ancient Druids, we attempt to reinterpret their beliefs and
practices. We want to place them in a context that is beneficial to the
modern folk who seek out this Path. The reconstruction of any ancient
religion or people is basically impossible, for without a body of recorded
teachings and beliefs, all we are really doing is inventing a new
religion. Does the fact that we are recreating Druidry make it (or any
other religion or philosophy for that matter) any less valuable? No. The
value of any philosophical belief is granted by its followers. Modern
Druids are by their very nature a very scholarly lot. There are many
intelligent, gifted people walking this path that work endless hours
reading and translating the ancient Irish texts with the hopes of
discovering something that will help modern Druidry grow. Druidism as a
philosophy was in existence long before most of the mainstream religions
of today, but alas, that Druidry is gone and lost to us. It might surprise
you to realize just how young neo-Druidism really is. What we know for
sure, and I've said this already, is that the Druidism of today is growing
at a fantastic rate. This growth is occurring in the field of research,
study, and recovery, and in the number of people who choose this as a
religious or philosophical path. This growth is change and Druids are firm
believers in the truth that a religion that fails to change to meet the
needs of its followers will die. The ODU is an infant organization of
people, Groves, and future Groves scattered all across North America. We
bond together through common interest and the love of the Irish tradition
of Druidry. We welcome you to our home on the web and hope you find
something within these pages to stir your soul and ignite the fires of
inspiration. The
Quest of a Druid The quest of a modern
Druid is an internal one, to find the self and understand the connection
we share with the rest of the universe. There are many spiritual and
religious paths, and there are just as many techniques and methods for
attaining what each perceives as the "ultimate goal." There is
no ultimate goal or prize for Druids, other than that we are constantly
seeking to gain a greater understanding of our world and ourselves. We
begin our quest by learning to understand the self and begin to glimpse
how we fit into the web of life. We strive to understand our place in the
world. It is ultimately the
breath of the spirit that enables us to learn our place in the world.
Through the breath of the soul we are able to reach out with our senses
and touch the world around us. By interacting with our world we not only
add to the knowledge and experience we have collected through our
countless lifetimes, but also add to the experience of the whole of
creation. Through ritual and
learning we work in two directions simultaneously--delving into the depths
of the soul and at the same time working to understand the outer world.
Because everything is interconnected we reach understanding of the outer
world more easily if we understand the inner world. This is what we work
toward as Druids. When we have learned how our own inner universe
operates, we come to a better understanding of how the world outside and
around us exists and functions. Druid ritual takes
many forms; it can be simple or very ceremonial. It can involve one
solitary Druid or a whole group of like-minded Druids working together to
reach a common goal. The learning of a modern Druid attempts to mirror the
subjects that our ancient forbearers would have studied. We know that
Druids filled many roles in ancient Celtic society and our studies attempt
recreate those roles, preparing the student of Druidry for a lifetime of
growth and service to their tribe. The Druids of old were shaman, lawyers,
poets, theologians, philosophers, magicians, healers, craftsmen, and much
more, we strive to walk in their footsteps.
Those who walk the path of modern Druidry call ourselves Druids in honor of those who taught and maintained the knowledge of our Irish ancestors. We understand that we cannot reclaim or recover most that these ancient men and women believed and taught, but we can attempt to mirror their duties in our modern society and build upon the knowledge they did leave us. Druidry needs to be interpreted and made useful and available to modern people. We cannot be the Druids of old, but we can try to be like them and use the knowledge and wisdom left to us for the betterment of our society and the world at large. /.\
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