History, beliefs, practices, & myths
Quotation:
"Druidry is not a religion. It's a philosophy and you can worship
a God or a Goddess, it's up to you. You can be a Christian or a
Moslem or anything else and still be a Druid. "But while a
Christian will say God made that tree, a Druid will say the energy
of a creative force is in that tree." Kieron, a North-East
UK Druid.
History:
Modern Druidism is one of the Neopagan family of religions, which
includes Wicca and recreations of Egyptian, Greek, Norse, Roman
and other ancient Pagan religions. Some present-day Druids attempt
to reconstruct of the beliefs and practices of ancient Druidism.
Others modern-day followers of Druidism work directly with the spirits
of place, of the gods and of their ancestors to create a new Druidism.
Within ancient Druidism, there were three specialties. "A general categorisation of the three different grades accords the arts to the bards, the skills of prophecy and divination to the Ovates and philosophical, teaching, counselling and judicial tasks to the Druid." 1
The Bards were "the keepers of tradition, of the memory of
the tribe - they were the custodians of the sacredness of the Word."
In Ireland, they trained for 12 years learning grammar, hundreds
of stories, poems, philosophy, the Ogham tree-alphabet.
The Ovates worked with the processes of death and regeneration.
They were the native healers of the Celts. They specialized in divination,
conversing with the ancestors, and prophesizing the future.
The Druids and Druidesses formed the professional class in Celtic
society. They performed the functions of modern day priests, teachers,
ambassadors, astronomers, genealogists, philosophers, musicians,
theologians, scientists, poets and judges. They underwent lengthy
training: some sources say 20 years. Druids led all public rituals,
which were normally held within fenced groves of sacred trees. In
their role as priests, "they acted not as mediators between
God and man, but as directors of ritual, as shamans guiding and
containing the rites." Most leaders mentioned in the surviving
records were male. It is not known whether female Druids were considered
equal to their male counterparts, or whether they were restricted
to special responsibilities. References to women exercising religious
power might have been deleted from the record by Christian monks
during the Celtic Christian era.
Since ancient Druidism was an oral tradition, they did not have a set of scriptures as do Christianity and other "religions of the book. 2 "Some Druidic "teachings survived in the Bardic colleges in Wales, Ireland and Scotland which remained active until the 17th century, in medieval manuscripts, and in oral tradition, folk lore and ritual." 3
Druidism and other Neopagan religions are currently experiencing a rapid growth. Many people are attempting to rediscover their roots, their ancestral heritage. For many people in North America, their ancestors can be traced back to Celtic/Druidic countries.
Most modern Druids connect the origin of their religion to the ancient Celtic people. However, historical data is scarce. The Druids may well have been active in Britain and perhaps in northern Europe before the advent of the Celts.
Many academics believe that the ancestors of the Celts were the Proto-Indo European culture who lived near the Black Sea circa 4000 BCE. Some migrated in a South-Westerly direction to create the cultures of Thrace and Greece; others moved North-West to form the Baltic, Celtic, Germanic and Slavic cultures. Evidence of a Proto-Celtic Unetice or Urnfield culture has been found in what is now Slovakia circa 1000 BCE. This evolved into a group of loosely linked tribes which formed the Celtic culture circa 800 BCE. By 450 BCE they had expanded into Spain; by 400 BCE they were in Northern Italy, and by 270 BCE, they had migrated into Galatia (central Turkey). By 200 BCE, they had occupied the British Isles, Brittany, much of modern France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, North West Spain, and their isolated Galatia settlement in Turkey.
Although the Celts had a written language, it was rarely used. Their religious and philosophical beliefs were preserved in an oral tradition. Little of their early history remains. Most of our information comes from Greek and Roman writers, who may well have been heavily biased (the Celts invaded Rome in 390 BCE and Greece in 279 BCE). Other data comes from the codification (and modification) of Celtic myth cycles by Christian monks. The latter included the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle, the Cycle of Kings, the Invasion Races Cycle from Ireland, and The Mabinogion from Wales. Unfortunately, much Celtic history and religion has been lost or distorted by an overlay of Christianity.
The Christian Church adsorbed much of Celtic religion: many Pagan
Gods and Goddesses became Christian saints; sacred springs and wells
were preserved and associated with saints; many Pagan temple sites
became the location of cathedrals. By the 7th Century CE, Druidism
itself was destroyed or continued deeply underground throughout
most of the formerly Celtic lands. There is some evidence that Pagan
religions did survive in isolated areas of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
into the 20th Century.
Myths about Druids
Ritual Killing: Many historians believed that the ancient Druids
performed human sacrifices. All of these references can be traced
back to the writings of one individual, Julius Caesar. He may well
have been prejudiced against the Celts because of their continual
warfare with the Romans. In war, the enemy is routinely demonized.
Some remains of executions have been found in the archeological
record, but it is not obvious whether the victims were killed during
religious rituals or to carry out the sentence of a court. There
is one reference to human sacrifice in Celtic literature, but it
appears to be a Christian forgery. The ancient Celts might have
engaged in ritual killing; certainly other contemporary societies
did. Modern Druids, of course, do not.
Stonehenge, Avebury, etc.: Many people believe that the Druids constructed
Stonehenge, the complex of standing stones in South Central England.
Stonehenge I ("Old Stonehenge"), which was composed of
the 56 "Aubrey" holes, was constructed circa 3500 BCE.
The current formation was completed circa 1500 BCE. This was almost
a millennium before the start of Celtic civilization. The Druids
may have preceded the Celts in England. Thus, either the Druids
or their fore-runners might have been responsible for the finishing
of Stonehenge and other monuments. There is no historical proof
that they were or were not involved. Even if they did not actually
construct these monuments, they may well have performed rituals
there, and understood its astronomical meanings and uses.
In Ireland and Great Britain, there are many ancient "Druid"
altars, beds, rings, stones, stone circles and temples. However,
radio-carbon analyses assign dates such as 1380 BCE (Wilsford Shaft)
to 3330 BCE (Hembury). Again, ancient Druids may have used these
megalithic monuments, but did not necessarily build them
Ireland now has countless wells and springs dedicated to the Christian
Saint Bridget. She was obviously descended from the Celtic Goddess
Brigid/Brigit. "Finding the cult of Brigit impossible to eradicate,
the Catholic church rather unwisely canonized her as a saint, calling
her Bridget or Bride." 4 The sacred ownership of the various
Pagan holy sites were simply translated from Goddess Brigid to St.
Bridget after the area was Christianized.
Celtic God Samhain: This non-existent God is often mentioned at
Halloween time. He is supposed to be the Celtic God of the Dead.
No such God existed. Samhain is, in reality, the name of a Druidic
fire festival. It can be loosely translated as "end of the
warm season".
Monotheistic Druids: Some writers have promoted the concept that
Druids were basically monotheistic, following a sort of pre-Christian
belief system. There is essentially no evidence of this. Druids
worshipped a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.
Beliefs and Practices:
Beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts are being pieced together
by modern Druids. Because so much information has been lost, this
is not an easy task. Some findings are:
Goddesses and Gods: The Celts did not form a single religious or
political unity. They were organized into tribes spread across what
is now several countries. As a result, of the 374 Celtic deities
which have been found, over 300 occur only once in the archeological
record; they are believed to be local deities. There is some evidence
that their main pantheon of Gods and Goddesses might have totaled
about 3 dozen - perhaps precisely 33 (a frequently occurring magical
number in Celtic literature). Some of the more famous are: Arawn,
Brigid, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Danu, Herne, Lugh, Rhiannon and Taranis.
Many Celtic deities were worshipped in triune (triple aspect) form.
Triple Goddesses were often sisters.
Afterlife: The dead were transported to the Otherworld by the God
Bile (AKA Bel, Belenus). Life continued in this location much as
it had before death. The Druids believed that the soul was immortal.
After the person died in the Otherworld, their soul lives again
in another human body. At every birth, the Celts mourned the death
of a person in the Otherworld which made the new birth possible.
Creation Myth: No Druidic creation story appears to have survived,
although there are numerous accounts of the supernatural creation
of islands, mountains, etc.
Baptism: There is some evidence that the Celts had a baptism initiation
ceremony similar to those found in Buddhist, Christian, Essene,
Hindu, Islamic, and Jainist sacred texts. Other researchers dismiss
baptism as a forgery by Christian scribes as they transferred Celtic
material to written form.
Divination: Druids used many techniques to foretell the future:
meditation, study of the flight of birds, interpreting dreams, and
interpreting the pattern of sticks thrown to the ground.
Awen symbol: This is a symbol drawn in the form of three pillars,
in which the outer two are sloped towards the center pillar, as
in /|\. The symbol has been in use since the 17th century; it recalls
the Druidic fascination with the number three.
Triskele symbol: This is an ancient Druidic symbol consisting of
three curved branches, bent legs or arms radiating from the center
of the symbol. The flag of the Isle of Man contains a triskele.
Seasonal Days of Celebration:
Druids, past and present, celebrate a series of fire-festivals,
on the first of each of four months. Each would start at sunset
and last for three days. Great bonfires would be built on the hilltops.
Cattle would be driven between two bonfires to assure their fertility;
couples would jump over a bonfire or run between two bonfires as
well. The festivals are:
Samhain (or Samhuinn) Literally the "end of warm season".
November 1 marked the combined Feast of the Dead and New Year's
Day for the Celtic calendar. It is a time when the veil between
our reality and that of the Otherworld is most easily penetrated.
This fire festival was later adopted by the Christians as All Soul's
Eve, and later became the secular holiday Halloween.
Imbolc (or Brighid) Literally "in the belly". February
1 marked The Return of Light. This is the date when the first stirrings
of life were noticeable and when the land might first be plowable.
This has been secularized as Groundhog Day.
Beltaine (or Bealteinne). May 1 was the celebration of The Fires
of Bel. This was the peak of blossom season, when domesticated animals
bear their young. This is still celebrated today as May Day. Youths
dance around the May pole in what is obviously a reconstruction
of an earlier fertility ritual.
Lughnasad (or Lughnasadh, Lammas). August 1 was The Feast of Lugh,
named after the God of Light. A time for celebration and the harvest.
There were occasional references in ancient literature to:
the winter solstice, typically December 21, when the night is longest
the summer solstice, typically June 21, when the night is shortest
Modern Druidic Movements:
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD): There are two beliefs
concerning the development of this group. One traces their origin
to the Ancient Order of Druids (AOD) by Henry Hurle in England in
1781. This group repeatedly split due to internal dissension into
many separate organizations. By 1918, there were five groups attempting
to perform solstice ceremonies at Stonehenge; all were breakaway
groups from the original Ancient Order of Druids. By 1955, all had
disappeared except for the British Circle of Universal Bond which
subsequently split in 1963 to form the OBOD. The other lineage is
claimed by the OBOD who trace their ancestry back through the AOD
to a group founded in England in 1717 by John Toland. He is said
to have combined local groups of Druids (called groves) from a 10
locations into the Mother Grove. The OBOD's current address is:
PO Box 1333, Lewes, East Sussex, England, BN7 3ZG. Email address:
office@obod.co.uk
The British Druid Order was founded in 1979 by Philip Shallcrass
and Emma Restall Orr. They "see Druidry as a process of constant
change and renewal whereby the tradition is continually recreated
to address the needs of each generation." They currently have
about 3,000 members, mostly in the UK. 3 Their address is: British
Druid Order, PO Box 29,
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN37 7YP, England. Email addresses
are: greywolf@druidorder.demon.co.uk and bobcat@nemeton.demon.co.uk
The Reformed Druids of North America: This movement started as a
type of undergraduate prank at a midwestern U.S. college (Carleton
College at Northfield, MN) in 1963. (One source says 1957). The
administration had required that all students to attend church.
Some students invented the RDNA as a reaction to this rule. The
leaders were amazed when many of the students wanted to continue
the RDNA, even after the protest against the administration had
been won. From this source, a number of Neopagan Druidic movements
have split off, including: Ar nDraiocht Fein: (ADF) This can be
loosely translated as "our own Druidism". Their name is
pronounced "arn ree-ocht fane". It was founded by Isaac
Bonewits who is currently the Archdruid Emeritus. The ADF emphasizes
scholarly research, and " a blend of ancient practices and
modern realities". His motto is "paganize mainstream religion
by mainstreaming paganism". Their goal is to recreate a Pan-European
Druidism, involving elements from Baltic, Celtic, Germanic Slavic
and even pre-classical Greek and Roman beliefs. The ADF publishes
a quarterly ADF journal, a bimonthly News from the Mother Grove,
and a semi-yearly Druid's Progress. Their address is: PO Box 516,
East Syracuse, NY 13057-0516. Email address: kithoward@delphi.com
The Henge of Keltria: Five ADF members compiled a list of 13 concerns
about the ADF at the Pagan Spirit Gathering in 1986, Emulating the
actions of Martin Luther, they attached the list to the door of
Isaac Bonewits' van in 1986 . Fortunately for Isaac, they used tape
in place of the nails that a Christian urban legend says that Martin
Luther used. Keltria has focused on ancient Celtic religion and
holds only non-public rituals. They published a journal: Keltria:
A Journal of Druidism and Celtic Magick" from 1986 to 1998.
References used:
"Bards, Ovates and Druids," at: http://druidry.org/obod/text/OBOD.html
Greywolf, "A little history of Druidry," at: http://www.druidorder.demon.co.uk/Druid%20History.htm
"Ancient Druidry," at: http://www.druidorder.demon.co.uk/
Douglas Monroe, "The 21 Lessons of Merlyn," Llewellyn
Publications, (1992).
B.G. Walker, "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets,"
Harper & Roe, (1983), P. 116 to 118.
Books on Druidism:
J. Bonwick, Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions, Dorsett Press
(1986) Out of print, but may be obtainable from Amazon.com
P. Carr-Gomm, The Druid Tradition, Element, Rockport MA (1991) You
can read reviews, and/or order this book safely from Amazon.com
C. Chippindale, Stonehenge Complete, Thames & Hudson, New York
(1994) Review/order this book
P.B. Ellis, The Druids, W.B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids MI (1994) Review/order
this book
E.E. Hopman, The Druid's Herbal For The Sacred Earth Year, Destiny
Books, Rochester, VT, (1995) Review/order this book
Douglas Monroe, The 21 Lessons of Merlyn, Llewellyn Publications,
(1992). Reviews /order this book
R. Nichols, The Book of Druidry, Aquarium, London (1975) Review/order
this book
B. Raftery, Pagan Celtic Ireland: The Enigma of the Irish Iron Age,
Thames & Hudson, New York (1994)
Emma Restall-Orr: "Thorsons Principles of Druidry," Thorsons
Publ, (1999) Review/order this book
"Spirits of the Sacred Grove: The world of a Druid Priestess,"
Thorsons Publ, (1998) Review/order this book
"Ritual: A Guide to Life, Love & Inspiration, Thorsons,
London (2000-SEP) Review/order this book
Philip Shallcrass, "Druidry," Piatkus Books, (2000-OCT)
Review/order this book
Internet References:
CATHBAD has prepared an information sheet: The Solitary Practitioner's
Basic Druidism FAQ at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~bmyers/druid.html
The Ar nDraiocht Fein has a lengthy home page at: http://www.adf.org
The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids is a well established Druidic
group in the UK. See: http://druidry.org
The Blackthorn Grove has a web page devoted to Druidism and all
other Pagan paths. See: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1669
The Darkside Coven hold online classes, workshops and discussions
on a variety of topics -- generally from a Druidic perspective.
See: http://phenomforest.com/avalon.html
Trefn Gwyddoniad is a Druidic group following a Welsh ritual structure
who trace their presence in the US back to 1792. See: http://www.geocities.com/nemetongwynvyd.
The IMBAS mailing list is devoted to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism
. "IMBAS" (pronounced "imvuhss") is a Celtic
word meaning "great wisdom" or "inspiration".
See http://www.siliconglen.com/scotfaq/2_8.html
Ellen Hopman, "The Origins of Keltria," at: http://neopagan.net/OriginsKeltria.HTML
The Henge of Keltria web site is at: http://www.keltria.org/