Druidism

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Celtic Druidism:

History & myths

History:

Since ancient Druidism was an oral tradition, they did not have a set of scriptures as do Christianity and other "religions of the book. 1 " 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." 2

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 have 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 archaeological 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." 3 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.

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Celtic Druidism:

Beliefs, practices & celebrations

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:

Specialties: 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, counseling 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.

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 archaeological 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, Morgan, Rhiannon and Taranis. Many Celtic deities were worshipped in triune (triple aspect) form. Triple Goddesses were often sisters.

Afterlife: They believed that 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 ancient Druids believed that the soul was immortal. After the person died in the Otherworld, their soul reincarnates and lives again in another living entity -- either in a plant or the body of a human or other animal. After a person has learned enough at this level, they move on after death to a higher realm, which has its own Otherworld. This continues until the individual reaches the highest realm, the "Source." A Druidic visitor to this web site wrote: "All things are created from the Source, including the Gods. We are just sparks from its flame." 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.

Moral code: Druids do not follow the Wiccan Rede which states (in modern English) one is free to do anything, as long as it harms nobody. The closest analogy are the Celtic Virtues of honor, loyalty, hospitality, honesty, justice and courage. "Daven" briefly describes the Virtues as follows:

"Briefly stated the virtue of Honor requires one to adhere to their oaths and do the right thing, even if it will ultimately hurt others or oneself in the process. A Druid is obligated to remain true to friends, family and leaders thus exhibiting the virtue of Loyalty. Hospitality demands that a Druid be a good host when guests are under one's roof. Honesty insists that one tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to yourself, your gods and your people. Justice desires the Druid understands everyone has an inherent worth and that an assault to that worth demands recompense in one form or another. Courage for the Druid does not always wear a public face; it is standing-strong-in-the-face-of-adversity, alone or with companions. Sometimes Courage is getting up and going about a daily routine when pain has worn one down without complaint or demur." 2

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.

Ancient symbols:



The Celtic Tree of Life, as interpreted here by Welsh artist Jen Delyth, shows a concept if the cosmos in which the universe is in the form of a tree whose roots and branches join.

The flag of the Isle of Man, as interpreted here by Stuart Notholt, contains a triskele. It is an ancient Druidic symbol consisting of three curved branches, bent legs or arms radiating from the center of the symbol. 3

The Sun wheel or Wheel of Taranis honors the Celtic sun god. It is in the form of a wheel with six spokes.

Modern symbols: These include:

Wreath and staves consisting of a wreath with two vertical staves.

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 center of the above symbol. Sometimes, one or three dots are added above the pillars. The symbol has been in use since the 17th century; it recalls the Druidic fascination with the number three. "Awen" means inspiration in Middle Welsh. The left ray represents female energy; the right: male energy; the middle: the harmonious balance of male and female

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 nighttime is longest

the summer solstice, typically June 21, when the nighttime is shortest

[source]

[Menydh]

There is no mentioning of a trinitarian deity, apparently central to druidic beliefs.

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

The Druids and the Celtic Culture

(Former Month's Feature) - December, 2005

Some of the early Celts were buried upright, facing their enemies, ready for battle. Although their religion included human sacrifice, much as did the ancient Israelites’, the Celts were a people fond of song, talented and capable of higher learning and even their chiefs honored and obeyed the learned Druids and Bards. According to Julius Caesar, the “Aes Dana” were believed to have originated in the Pretannic Isles, where those who wished to master their arts went to study, and spread to the continent from there. Archeological evidence, such as Newgrange and The Piper’s Stones in Ireland, show that this origin may have been as early as 3,500 BC and therefore pre-Celtic.
The Celts, along with the Israelites, were among the first cultures to evolve a doctrine of immortality. Their belief was so strong that they actually deferred settling debts until they met in the next world! The Celts taught that death was only a changing of place and that life went on with all its forms and goods in another world, a world of the dead, the fabulous “Tir-nan-Og” (Other World, Land of the Young) and that when people died in that world, they were reborn in this world. Thus did Philostratus of Tyana (c.170-249 AD) observe that the Celts celebrated birth with mourning and death with joy. Their gravesites therefore provide us with unusual insight into Celtic culture.
The burial chamber at “Dunchraigaig,” (Fort near the Craig) in Knapdale, was first used c.2,000 BC and was probably entered from the top. A number of burnt and unburnt human bones were found in it, along with a flint knife, stone axe, whetstone and some pottery. The chamber was sealed by the massive slab still visible. Over this, a cairn of smaller stones was heaped. Later burials, utilizing the same “cairn,” (heap of stones) were placed in a stone lined grave known as a “ciste,” (chest or coffin) which can no longer be seen. It contained burnt human bone and a pot. Although used over a long period beginning in the Bronze Age, very few burials occurred at this site, allowing the speculation that those interred were of a ruling or priestly class. The mound was enlarged and acted as a raised platform for the last burials it contained.

The famous “Táin Bó Cuailnge” attributes to its hero, “Cú Chulainn” (Hound of Culann), the oath, “I swear by the gods my people swear by!” Like the Greeks and Romans, the Celts had many deities. 374 are known from inscriptions, but only a few occur more than twenty times. “Bel” (Baal to the Israelites), the Sun God, whose symbol was the circle, was widely worshiped and was said by the Irish to live in “Uaimh nam Gréine” (Cave of the Sun - Newgrange). They also worshiped the “Dagda,” whose name meant “good for everything,” or “all competent,” the source of skills and wisdom, as well as protection of the tuath, in time of war. The name MacEachern (Son of the horse lord) is still common in Islay and Kintyre and “Epone” was the Horse Goddess, from whom the Epidii tuath of Argyll may have taken their name.
The Celts also worshiped (at one time or another, in some part of their realm or another) “Tarvos Taranos” (Zeus), God of Bull and Thunder (from which derive “Torann,” the Irish word for noise and “Toirneach,” Irish for thunder); “Nodons” (Old Irish - Nuadu), God of Healing; “Maponos” (Apollo), God of Eternal Youth; “Oengus,” God of Love, whose kisses became birds; “Ogmioc” (Hercules, Old Irish - Ogma); and “Cernunnos,” the horned one, perhaps one of the most ancient Celtic deities, representations of whom show a human antlered head. His images have been found at several Mesolithic sites in Midlothian and Perthshire. “Esus” (Hermes) was a principal deity in Ireland where the common given name “Eóghan” (Owen) means son of Esus. The river god “Cai” may have found a place at Arthur’s Round Table as “Sir Kay,” as did the one armed war god “Bedwyr” as “Sir Bedevere” and perhaps the Britons’ version of Hercules,“Gwalchmai” as “Sir Gawain.” “Mannan MacLis” ferried the soul to “Tir-nan-Og” where “Goibniu” (Roman - Vulcan, Greek - Hephaestus), the Divine Smith, presided over the feast of "Fled Goibniu."
Later, “Lug Lamfota,” or “Lug of the Long Spear and the Many Arts, Lord of the Ravens,” became important and possibly is the origin of “An Fhitich” (the Raven) crest of MacDonell of Glengarry. In Ireland he conquered the evil creatures of the other world and was celebrated at the harvest festival of “Lugnasadh” held on August 1. “Lugus” was honored by numerous place names such as "Lugdunum" (Lyons), Leon, Leiden and Liegnitz, among others, and his name was also considered synonymous with “Esus.” "Luguvalium" (Carlisle) meant “Strong in the God Lugus.” According to Irish tradition, Lug was the sole survivor of triplet brothers all having the same name. At least three dedications to Lugus in plural form (Lugoues), are known from the continent.
The Celtic affinity for trinitarian forms would suggest that three gods were likewise envisaged in these dedications. Lug’s son, or rebirth, according to Irish belief, was the great Ulster hero, “Cú Chulainn” and in the saga “Cath Maigh Tuireadh” (The Battle of the Boastful Death Song - Moytura), Lug became the King of Tara.

The actual idol stands only some two feet tall

Although impressive in this picture,

Boa Island, Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh

Two Headed Celtic Idol

The Dagda’s counterpart and consort was the “Morrigan,” perhaps recalled as “Morgan le fey” in Arthurian legend, a goddess frequently referred to as “the Queen of Demons” and symbolized by the horse, as was “Epone” (Eithne). The Morrigan was also known in trinitarian form, as “Macha” or “Medb” (Maeve) and “Bodh,” signifying birth, life and death. The three mother goddesses of war, Morrigan, Macha and Bodh, were known collectively as “Mórrigna.” She was both fertile and destructive. Morrigan also represented sovereignty as the symbolic Queen of Tara. Samhain (November 1), the first day of Winter, was believed to be a time of chaos and supernatural occurrences, when the dwellings of the fairies were revealed. The Morrigan’s and the Dagda’s joining on the night of the festival of Samhain restored harmony, ensured the prosperity of the tuath and protected the fertility of the crops and animals in the coming year.

There were a large number of female deities such as “Bo Winda Banna” (White Cow Goddess), who were variously consorts of male gods, protectors of springs and rivers, or simply “Matres” or “Matronae” (divine mothers). Pretannic and continental Celts apparently shared the Irish belief in the sanctity of bodies of water as homes of the gods, as evidenced by the large number of precious objects found in bodies of water all over Europe and recalled in King Arthur’s “Lady of the Lake.” “Brigit,” daughter of the Dagda and associated with the festival of “Imbolc,” celebrated on February 1, was also believed to have powers of healing and wisdom, as well as being a fertility goddess.
One of the three important Celtic gods referred to by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st Century was “Teutates,” (God of the tribe), who was protector of the tuath in time of war and was identified with both the Roman god Mercury (Greek Hermes) and with Mars (Greek Ares). According to later writers, victims sacrificed to Teutates were killed by being plunged headfirst into a vat of unspecified liquid which may have been mead (ale), a favorite drink of the Celts. Ritual drowning of captured enemies was an ancient Celtic custom related to their belief in water spirits. Teutates was also known in Pretania, where his name was written Toutates. The Irish “Tuathal Techtmar,” one of the legendary conquerors of Ireland, has a name that comes from an earlier form, “Teuto-valos” (Ruler of the People). He may have been named for an eponymous deity of the district which he is reputed to have conquered, but the name was probably just another manifestation of the great god Teutates. Tuathal is thought to have ruled Leinster and Meath c.160 AD.
Each tuath had a pantheon and origin legends of their own, yet all derived from a common basic theology. The eve of Bealtaine (May 1), the first day of summer, was when cattle were purified by being driven between rowan wood bonfires. Many medieval sagas begin with a supernatural being’s appearance on Bealtaine, just before sunrise, and may have been especially significant to Celtic “Fathi” (Priests). Although a particular deity might be paramount in an area at a specific time, obviously the Celts were not monotheists and no god was more real to the Celt than the “Áes Sidhe” (people of the hollow hills, fairy beings) who issued from caves or mounds to trick or treat mankind and, it is said, still do. In many places in Pretania and on the continent, ritual shafts and tunnels were dug in an apparent effort to communicate with the underworld. There was magic in the wells and streams, in places where earth spirits dwelt, in the mistletoe and in the rowan trees that were proof against the evil eye; charms for love, luck and well being. The gods had the power to take animal form and hares, fowl and geese were considered sacred and not killed or eaten. Blossoms and flowers belonged to the Spring Maiden, summer’s fruit to the Earth Mother and harvest to the Winter Hag, who also was goddess of red death and war. The Celts believed that the soul was contained in the head rather than the heart. Although the Romans found the Celtic custom of taking the heads of their slain enemies distasteful, hanging them from the manes of their horses or preserving them in cedar oil and showing them to their guests, the custom had an ancient pre-Celtic religious origin and was no more primitive than the Roman custom of executing their prisoners “en mass.”

Guarding the spirits in a 4,000 year old passage grave.

Dunchraigaig's Rowan Tree, Knapdale

"An Daire" (The Oak Tree) and "An Caorann" (The Rowan Tree), both had religious significance to the Celts. The oak hoasted the sacred mistletoe and oak groves were considered the sanctuaries of the Druids. This was where they conducted their rites, gave guidance to the community, read oracles and supervised the holy elements of the annual festivals. With the coming of Christianity, early missionaries established their abbeys in oak groves, thus giving them an aura of sanctity in the eyes of the people. Colm Cille’s monasteries at “Daire” (Derry) and at "Durrow" were both set in oak groves.

The rowan, known in Celtic society as the tree of life, was sacred to the Goddess Brigit and was associated with “Imbolc,” the great “fire festival” held in February to celebrate the quickening of the year. The Rowan was dedicated to the Medb aspect of the Morrigan and held a special place in Celtic life, religion and mythology. The Gaelic for MacCarthy is MacCaorthann (Son of the Rowan). This tree was believed to provide protection against spells, unwanted influences and evil spirits. Fires of rowan wood were lit before battles and incantations were chanted over the flames to summon spirits to take part in the fight or to combat evil. It was used in various ways as medicine and as an amulet for healing and good luck. Rowan sticks were used as divining rods to find water, as well as metal, especially gold, and to carve rhunes. Wands of rowan were thought to promote knowledge, understanding and breadth of view and therefore were used to record ogham writing.
“Rowana,” the Tree Goddess, was patroness of the knowledge of rhunes. Sprigs of rowan were placed over doorways and on cattle sheds to protect the animals from harm. Farmers drove their sheep through hoops of rowan branches and horses and cattle thought to be bewitched were controlled with rowan switches. Rowan trees were planted in churchyards and other religious sites to watch over and protect the spirits of the dead, as well as to protect worshipers and priests. Rowan bark was used for tanning and the Druid Fathi produced a black dye from it to color their black ceremonial robes. They also built platforms of Rowan branches on which they would lie as part of a ritual to induce a trance so as to gain insight or hidden knowledge.
Vestiges of Celtic religious heritage still persist. Rag trees at Holy wells still carry petitions to the “Sidh” in “dreamtime.” Holly wreaths, mistletoe and a tree symbolize Christmas and it is still told by the storytellers of County Meath that a dreadful battle took place in ancient days at Tailltee, near “Sliabh nam Bhrugh,” between the “Tuatha Dé Danann” inhabitants of Erin and the Milesian invaders from Spain. Three Dé Danann kings, three Dé Danann queens and many warriors were lost in the conflict. The survivors fled into the hills where they gathered at “Brugh nam Bhoinne” to decide if they could live as a conquered people. Legend has it that they decided that they could not. Instead, they dug their way into this large earth mound, fanning out from it to found their own underground kingdom all across Ireland. Using magic, they threw a veil of invisibility over themselves and have lived there ever since as fairies and their cobbler relatives, leprechauns, fiddling, dancing and guarding the gold in the earth from those who inhabit the surface.
Druidic instruction was oral and of its content only traces remain in heroic tales, poems and law tracts. The “Táin Bó Cuailnge” incidentally said that a famous Druid, Cathbad, Arch Druid of Ulaidh in the sagas, had 100 pupils. Bardic schools existed in Ireland until the 17th Century. To hold the “cathaoir Ollamhnachta” (chair of Ollamhship) indicated a royal appointment as court poet, judge, physician or historian and lands endowing such a post could become hereditary within a family, whose chieftain in each generation was chosen on the basis of his learning and confirmed (or not) by the king. This was generally the case in Cineal ua Dhomhnuil up until the 18th Century among the Bethune family (l'eigh or physicians) and the MacMhurichs (seannachaidh or historians). Fully qualified junior members of such a family were called “adhbhar ollamhan” (eligible to be ollamh). “Ollamh” remains the modern Irish word for professor. Druids were recruited from the aristocratic element of Celtic society, but were not a hereditary caste. Men were admitted to the “Áes Dana” only upon completing long training in formal schools in a body of traditional lore. One became a Bard only after the successful completion of a nine to twelve year period of disciplined study, memorizing 250 prime stories, as well as 100 secondary ones. It has been said that a Bard had a long story and a short one for every day of the year. They also had to master the traditional metre and line schemes, as well as having learned to compose new poems and lays, to play musical instruments and to tell the ancient lore and riddles. The mastery of the “clarsach” (thirty-two stringed Irish harp) was no mean feat and Irish harpers have long been famous. This course of study earned the rank or degree of “Ollamh” (from old Irish “oll” - great), signifying the highest of the seven grades of learning and the mastery of an art. Originally, even mastery of a martial art was included, but not the least of their skills was the art of satire, for not only could they praise the hero, they could destroy a man’s “enech.” It was said their words could raise blisters on a victim’s face, visibly branding the mean and mannerless.

The Druids also exercised a great deal of influence by their control of the calendar. The year was divided into two halves, the light half, which was auspicious and began at “Bealtaine,” and the dark half, which was chaotic and began at “Samhain.” The festival of “Imbolc” divided the dark half and “Lugnasadh” divided the light half. The lunar months were either of thirty days (auspicious) or twenty-nine days (not auspicious), as determined by the Druids, and the lunar calendar was adjusted to the solar calendar every three years by adding a thirty day month. By this method the Druids controlled planting, harvest and most other significant events of society.

Druidic instruction was oral and of its content only traces remain in heroic tales, poems and law tracts. The “Táin Bó Cuailnge” incidentally said that a famous Druid, Cathbad, Arch Druid of Ulaidh in the sagas, had 100 pupils. Bardic schools existed in Ireland until the 17th Century. To hold the “cathaoir Ollamhnachta” (chair of Ollamhship) indicated a royal appointment as court poet, judge, physician or historian and lands endowing such a post could become hereditary within a family, whose chieftain in each generation was chosen on the basis of his learning and confirmed (or not) by the king. This was generally the case in Cineal ua Dhomhnuil up until the 18th Century among the Bethune family (l'eigh or physicians) and the MacMhurichs (seannachaidh or historians). Fully qualified junior members of such a family were called “adhbhar ollamhan” (eligible to be ollamh). “Ollamh” remains the modern Irish word for professor.

Rag Tree, Clonfert, Co. Galway
This Druid shrine is in the wood immediately adjacent to Clonfert Cathedral

The Druids were not merely priests, but personal and political advisors; teachers of philosophy, science, mathematics and theology. They believed in eternal life, but without elaborate views on the subject. Druids were believed to have the gift of prophesy, which has always been an important part of Irish popular culture. Because of druidic proscriptions we have no single sentence of their body of knowledge in their own language, although much physical evidence exists, such as tools, weapons, sites like Stonehenge, as well as their “rhunaidh” (rhunes - secret writings) inscribed in their Ogham alphabet. Pliny the Elder tells us about the Druids’ use of mistletoe, which they climbed great oaks to obtain, detaching it with golden sickles. Julius Caesar described the Druids, saying:

“They have considerable knowledge of the stars, and of their motions, and of the dimensions of the Earth, and the Universe around. Also of science in general, and of the powers and spheres of influence of the immortal gods. These subjects they debate, and also teach to their young students.”
Strabo said that the Celts’ learned men consisted of “Filii” (Bards), who composed, preserved and performed music, eulogies and poetry; and “Fathi,” (Priests, Latin - Vates) who were responsible for carrying out prophesy, magic and sacrifices to the gods. There were also “Seannachaidh,” clan historians or storytellers; “Breitheimh,” brehons or brieves who were jurists and law givers; and “Druidh,” who studied natural science and philosophy. It was the “Druidh” who mastered astronomy, laid out the temples such as Stonehenge and maintained the calendar. In Scotland there may have been another order known as “DeoPhaisten” who were said to be teachers of both religion and law. The various orders may have each had an Arch Druid who had great influence, both within and without their order, but of varying scope. The Arch Druids were so powerful that they could interpose themselves between (Celtic) armies and stop battles. They were also believed to be able to divine the names of future kings, and so had a voice in the succession.
In Ireland, where Druidism was not suppressed as it was in the Roman Empire, the orders of Bards and Historians are most clearly defined. The Gael placed tremendous value on preserving their history and tradition, but they were also storytellers whose repertoire included voyages, battles, cattle raids, attacks, courtships, elopements, pursuits, slaughters, sieges, exiles, tragedies, magic, wonders and visions. The genealogies of their kings were recited orally on every important public occasion. If a Seannache made a single mistake, a hundred voices would shout him down. In social rank the Bards were second only to the king, but in sacredness of person, the king was second to the poet, because the lives of kings were frequently taken, but almost never was a poet killed. At table, the Bard was entitled to the king’s joint, the haunch. The poet’s “dire fine” (honor-price due for killing him) was seven “cumail,” the same as a king’s. Everything worth recording was put into verse to be more easily remembered and more pleasantly heard, including history, genealogy and even their laws. A major part of the art of the Bard were the facial expressions and verbal inflections that no book could record. The Bards were also highly skilled in metrical devices, including a large number of complicated verse forms unknown to modern English poetry. Diodorus tells us “. . . They sing to the accompaniment of instruments resembling lyres, sometimes a eulogy and sometimes a satire.” It is said that Patrick, too, was taken with their talent, ordering his monks to write down the tales of old soldiers “lest they be forgotten.” It was attributed to such noted continental scholars as Zeuss and Nigra that they believed that it was the ancient Irish who invented rhyme and introduced it in Latin to the countries of medieval Europe, where Irish minstrels were famous.

The order of “Breitheamh,” judges or legal scholars, was one of the highest orders of the “Áes Dana.” The Brehon laws of Ireland are the oldest surviving legal system in Europe. They were rooted in ancient Indo-European custom rather than Roman law and were in continual use until the English suppressed them in the 17th Century. These ancient laws were very sophisticated and complex and the Brehons memorized them and passed them down from one generation to the next, verbally. Under their laws, a man’s identity was defined in terms of tribe and family; outside of which he had no legal rights. A Brehon was a legal expert who devoted himself to arbitration and advising clients, usually for a fee that was about one twelfth of the amount awarded.

It is said that Patrick was responsible for the “Senchus Mhór,” a compilation of five volumes of Brehon law, citing fourteen other books of civil law and that when he had the laws codified, he had a Filií “to put a thread of poetry round them.” Even so, Patrick is said to have taken out many of the ancient “eye for an eye” doctrines that were inconsistent with Christian principles. King Cormac, in his 10th Century glossary, quotes from five law books, only one of which was among the fourteen Senchus glosses. There therefore must have been a very large number of laws written down by Irish monks, which would themselves have represented only a small percentage of the total body of Brehon law, covering almost every relationship and every fine shade of relationship, social and moral, between men and passed down from memory, generation after generation. For example, a passage from Brehon law said:

“The poet (or tutor) commands his pupils. The man from whom education is received is free from the crimes of his pupils, though he feeds and clothes them, and that they pay him for their learning. He is free, even though it be a stranger he instructs, feeds, and clothes, provided it is not for pay but for God that he does it. If he feeds and instructs a stranger for pay, it is then he is accountable for his crimes.”

Among the many provisions of Brehon law was that of providing for the sick. St Fabiola is generally credited with founding the first hospital in Rome in the 4th Century AD, but it is evident that hospitals existed in Ireland long before that time. A 2nd Century Celtic grave at Obermenzingen in southern Germany yielded, in addition to normal accouterments, a probe, a retractor and a trephining saw, the tools of a surgeon. Brehon law required that hospitals should be staffed by qualified personnel, should be free from debt, should have four doors and fresh water and should be freely available to the sick, feeble, elderly and orphans. The law also provided that none of the patients were to lack food or means of livelihood. From myths and sagas, as well as from archeological evidence, we know that ancient Irish physicians were skilled in performing caesarean operations, amputations and brain surgery, as well as being competent in herbal remedies.
The Druids of Britannia fell from grace when their wisdom could not prevail against Roman arms. Tacitus’ description of the Arch Druids interposing themselves between the Celtic and Roman armies on the shores of Anglesey paints a pathetic picture. But it was the coming of Christianity that ended the supremacy of the Druids in Ireland, as they were replaced by Christian priests and monks, although Bards are still among the most venerated persons of Erin and modern Irish law still contains elements of the heritage of the Brehons. More than 160 “Dolméinn” or portal tombs and some 300 court tombs dot the landscape of Ireland, while “Slieve na Calliagh” (Hill of the Witch) in Co. Meath still posses questions for antiquarians. At one point, “Colm Cille” (St Columba) was a pupil of a Christian Bard, was admitted to their order and later, on revisiting Ireland, he eloquently defended them when they were indicted for their satires. He also acted as an “Ard Fathi” (Arch Druid, High Priest) in determining the royal succession of King Aedan mac Gabhran of Dalriada. But in a hymn ascribed to Colm he wrote,

Knowth Passage Grave, c.2500 BC, Boyne Valley, Co. Meath
One of eighteen burial mounds in this ancient Druid cemetery.

The Morrigan

“. . . My druid is Christ, the Son of God . . .”




Creevykeel Court Tomb, Co. Sligo. One of only 5 court tombs in the south of Ireland, it was 200 feet long, with 5 chambers. Grave goods included Neolithic pottery, flint arrowheads, hollow scrapers and polished stone axe heads.

Built c.1200 BC as a Druidic temple and astronomical observatory.

Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Typical of the groves which were sacred to the Druids.

Gog and Magog Oaks, Glastonbury, Somerset

Aberlemno, Angus

Known to the Alban Gael as "Kelpies"

Waterhorses Standing Stone

From 2nd or 1st Century BC Gundestrup Caldron, found in a Danish bog,

Celtic Deity Cernunnos

Dunchraigaig Passage Grave, c. 2000 BC, Knapdale

"Buaile Achadh Greine" (Enclosure of the Plain of the Sun)

The Piper's Stones, Co. Wicklow

[source]

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

There is no mentioning of a trinitarian deity, apparently central to druidic beliefs.

Some reflections on Druidic Christology – Rev. Alistair Bate – Jan. 2005

My Druid is Christ, the Son of God, Christ, Son of Mary, the Great Abbot, The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

St. Columba

It is well known that there are today, and have been, probably for nearly two thousand years, Christian Druids. This venerable tradition is however, in danger of being eclipsed as we move out of the age of Pisces and into the age of Aquarius. The danger I perceive is that, sensing the power of the new wave of spiritual activity on our planet the new devotees will miss the opportunity to integrate the best of the old with the new forms of spiritual practice. If Druids are to be true to both our highest calling as human beings and to the traditionally tolerant, inclusive and universalist Druid tradition then we need to make “integration” our watchword for the next century at least. A whole scale rejection of Christianity in favour of a reconstructed Paganism can only lead to more ignorance and fundamentalism. Hence my wish to write something about specifically Christian Druidry.
What one might call “Christian Druidism” is largely theologically incoherent. However, scholars much more able than I have offered some observations on the relationship of pre-Christian Druidic deities with Christian theology and some others, such as past Chiefs of the Ancient Druid Order and the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, have attempted to give ceremonial expression to deeply felt theological convictions.

As an example of orthodox Christology finding its way into Druidic ceremonial I would like to consider the benediction at the end of the traditional (O.B.O.D.) ritual for Imbolc; “May the blessing of the Uncreated One, of the Created Word and of the Spirit that is the Inspirer be always with us. May the world be filled with harmony and Light. ….” In this case the writer (probably Chief Nuinn/Ross Nichols, Chief of the Order of Bard, Ovates and Druids and Celtic Orthodox Deacon) was obviously inspired by the opening verses of St John’s gospel. This in itself may be no accident given the popularly alleged association between a Gnostic Johannine tradition and Celtic Christianity. However, the writer may also have been influenced by a passage in the Barddas of Iolo Morgannwg where God the Father is referred to as HEN DDIHENYDD, (meaning the Ancient or Unoriginated One)[1]. Iolo goes on to say that “God the Son is called IAU” (meaning Younger), “that is, God under a finite form and corporeity, …. And when he became man in this world, he was called Jesus Christ”. Iolo goes on to explain some of the epithets of Jesus. Two in particular are of interest; “and he also has other names, such as PERYDD, (Causer/ first cause), and God the NER, (Energy/ the Powerful). The theological difficulty with the above is that Iolo appears at once to imply that Jesus Christ was himself both created and Creator. Such is the difficulty arising from the church’s teaching in the Nicene creed that Jesus was “begotten, not created”. It would appear therefore that Iolo’s Christology leans towards Arianism, though it doesn’t quite get there, and that Chief Nuinn’s Christology leans in the same direction. A more orthodox rendering of Chief Nuinn’s triadic formula might be “May the blessing of the Uncreated One, of the Creative Word and of the Spirit that is the Inspirer be always with us”. This, I believe, would not only be more truly in tune with the bardic experience but would also resonate with the Om/Creation idea found in the Hindu tradition. As we envision Awen, the primordial sound, echoing out of the void we connect with our own creative inspiration as part of that first creative Word, which is in Christian terms, at once Christ and his Spirit. In fact, our own potential divinity, a very orthodox idea, is affirmed by Iolo when he writes that “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down from Gwynvyd to the Little World in the condition of man, in order to teach, warn, direct, and inform those who seek to be divine.” [2] It is this urge towards personal transformation, and ultimately theosis or divinisation, that is at the very heart of both Christian mysticism and Christian Druidism, the allowing of Awen, the Creative Word, to do its transforming work in us.

Looking at what one might call pre-figurings of the Trinity among the ancient Celts, one is immediately struck by the theological common ground shared by middle eastern mystery religions, among which I would count Christianity, and the mystery religions of Western Europe. These similarities and correspondences were perhaps understood and grasped most perfectly by Chief Nuinn/Ross Nichols and presented, posthumously, in his “Book of Druidry”.

It is quite well known that ancient Druidism had, as Chief Nuinn wrote, “an essential spirit called Hesus or Esus, linked with the Oak tree, which seemed a plain anticipation of Jesus upon the tree of the cross.” [3]

Iolo Morgannwg goes so far as to identify Hu/Hesus/Esus with Jesus Christ: “Hu the Mighty, -Jesus the Son of God, the least in respect of His worldly greatness whilst in the flesh, and the greatest in heaven of all visible majesties.”[4] The editor of Barddas, Revd J. Williams ab Ithel, helpfully goes on to explain that “the meaning of “Hu”, is that which is apt to pervade, or to spread over. It is used as an epithet of the deity, in reference to His omniscience, and is not unfrequently to be met with as such in the words of the Bards…..”[5]

Chief Nuinn links Esus in a triad of Gods with Teutates and Cernunnos, as their statues were discovered together in Paris, but perhaps more intriguingly, Hesus is also linked with Beli, the “Sun Disk”, and Taruos Trigaranus (the Bull God of three cranes) [6]. Chief Nuinn notices what he calls a “unity of idea” within the Hesus/Beli/Taruos triad. Beli “the sun disk” can be identified with both the Aten of Akhenaten and Adon/Adonai of Moses, in both cases the (same) Father aspect of the divinity, but Beli can also be seen as the Solar Logos, the Creative Word or Son aspect. Hu can be seen as both emergent from the Oak tree - the Mabon/Christ child [7] – and as the Origin, the Father of all[8]. Taruos, as a bull God, parallels the Canaanite Baal and the Greek Zeus, both Father God types associated with bull cults, while the crane as the Celtic bird of Wisdom parallels Sophia, Holy Wisdom, most often symbolised by a dove. Hence we see that Hesus/Hu and Beli both contain Father and Son aspects while Taruos contains Father and Spirit aspects of the Christian Trinity. Perhaps there is indeed a “unity of idea” here.

In practical terms and from a monotheistic Druidic perspective, there is one obvious flaw in the triadic formulas of the past and that is their seeming maleness and consequent reinforcement of patriarchy. The Maiden/Mother/Crone model favoured by Wiccans is a modern invention, though of course the triple Matronae and the three battle Goddesses of Ireland are very ancient. I would wish, however, to make room for the feminine aspect of Divinity in a more orthodox model. Chief Nuinn writes that “Teut, Hu and Bel may be reckoned a trinity of shapes of the One; but there is always the fourth, the feminine balance, the all-mother Ana”[9]. Ana/Anu/Dana/Danu is the mother of all the Gods of the ancient Irish, the Tuatha De Danann, the people of Danu. Interestingly, a Hindu Goddess shares the same name. To call Ana, the Grandmother of the Gods would not, in fact, be incongruous. To Gnostic ears too, this would not sound strange, as one neo-gnostic “Ave” petition reads, “Holy Sophia, Mother all the Gods, pray for us now and at the hour of our death”. If Mary is Theokotos, the Mother of God, then her mother, St. Anne/Anna could be called Grandmother of God. Popularly, though it has never been defined satisfactorily, Mary is not only the Mother of Christ and Mother of God, she is also called, in the Litany of Loreto, “Mother of the Creator”. We are used to the image of Mary as mother of Jesus, but have we really considered her as Mother of the Creator. Preceding even the utterance of the creative Word, She was, as Sophia, the breath – that is the life - of God hovering over the waters[10]. Though the historical Mary is hardly an empowering archetype, nevertheless, I believe that a proper mystical understanding of, and devotion to, the Mother of God, the “Cosmic Mary”, if you will, is a viable alternative to Celtic pagan Goddess reconstruction, beautifully creative though that can be.

In the 4th century St Augustine declared, “That which is called the Christian Religion existed among the Ancients, and never did not exist, from the beginning of the Human Race until Christ came in the flesh, at which time true religion, which already existed began to be called Christianity”. That the religion of our most ancient ancestors is in essence very similar to that of our more recent ancestors is the conviction that keeps some of us simultaneously both Druid and Christian.

Bibliography:

The Barddas of Iolo Morgannwg - J. Williams ab Ithel, ed., 1862 – Weiser (2004).

The Book of Druidry – Ross Nichols – Thorsons 1990.




[1] Barddas, p.219

[2] Barddas, p.241

[3] Book of Druidry, p.49

[4] Barddas, p.221

[5] ibid.

[6] Book of Druidry p.80

[7] Book of Druidry, p.126

[8] Book of Druidry, p.80

[9] Book of druidry, p.120

[10] Genesis: 1.2

[stirpes]

This article needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. It smacks a bit of neopaganism.

[Milesian]

Nice thread, Phlethon.

I'm a little concerned at some minor parts though.
Why they at times feel the need to mention Wicca in the same sentence as the ancient beliefs of the Celts or even speak of modern "Druidism" without so much as a sneer, makes me almost as uneasy as the addition of modern symbols which almost certainly have no significance to the ancient culture/people being discussed.

The biggest disappointment is the dismissal of human sacrifice as a reality, claiming it as only being mentioned by Caesar (a biased source) and then being taken up by unscrupulous Christians later on in order to discredit the ancients pagans.
This is simply not true. Numerous mummified remains have been unearthed which have shown not only very persuasive signs of ritual murder but also remarkable similarities to the "triple-fold killing" mentioned in the ancient Irish texts. It is a bit too much of a coincidence to suppose dishonest monks made up slanderous stories of human sacrifice and then millenia later corpses suddely turn up showing pretty much the exact signs of such deaths as were described. The truth is that the monks may have embellished stories or put on them a Christian veneer over the top of them. But to claim they fabricated lies and calumnies is rather ridiculous imo. These men were still borne of the same culture being written about, a culture obsessed with preserving the facts accurately. It is insulting to say they would have done otherwise.

It is disappointing when genuine historic facts are tainted & distorted by glaringly obvious neo-pagan bias.