druids then and now

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SESIUNEA DE COMUNICRI TIINIFICE I

REFERATE A ELEVILOR

-Limba Englez-

THE DRUIDS:THEN AND NOW

Îndrumtor:

Prof. Crciun Mirela Elena

Autori:

Mate Bogdan Robert

tefan Valentin-Florin

Colegiul Naional ÄAvram Iancu´ , Brad



May , 2011

Table of Contents

Argument .................................................................................. 1

I. Then ....................................................................................... 2

1. Role in Society ..................................................................... 2

2.Beliefs and values ................................................................. 3

3. Sacrifices and Magic ............................................................ 4

II. NOW..................................................................................... 6

1. Druid Revival and Neo-Druidism ........................................ 6

2. Influence in Video Games .................................................... 8

3. Influence in Music and Films ............................................... 9

Conclusion............................................................................... 10



Argument

Having been born in an Eastern European country that has a mostly-Latin heritage and issituated quite far away from France or Britain, one hasn¶t heard too many tales about the ancient priests that roamed the western part of our continent ages ago. In fact, many of the interestingaspects of history are left aside by teachers, because of one reason or another, and unless one¶scuriosity is stimulated by an external source, these aspects end up easily ignored.

The main reason that pushed us into researching and writing about the Druids was a pieceof news that was broadcasted on TV. That particular piece of news stated, that, in Britain,Druidry became a religion that was officially recognized by the British state, after a five year long struggle by Druid Network, order lead by Phil Ryder, to make it so. It meant that Druidrywould have the same rights as the Anglican Church, thing which was no small feat! Moreover,finding out that plenty of Druidic orders had been established within the UK and that the paganideology had somewhere around 10,000 followers also contributed in raising our curiositytowards the subject.

Another reason why we picked the Druids as the subject of this paper was stumbling

across a particularly interesting piece of information while surfing around the internet. InisMona, known today as the Isle of Anglesey (or Ynys Môn , in Welsh) was an island, situatedsomewhere in the north of Wales (the isle also had the village with the longest place name inBritain, which is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch). There, themost important Druid College of the Celtic world had been established, in times past, and Celtictribes from all over Europe sent their youth to that place in order for it to receive the highestdruidic education. The entire process of becoming a Druid, took no less than 20 years!Furthermore , the same source states that being a Druid was one of the most important,honorable, responsible, esteemed and maybe also most difficult professions in the Celtic culture, being actually much more than just a profession, rather to be described as a lifestyle, a vocation,

a destiny.



I. Then

1. Role in Society

The Druids were an ancient order of Celtic priests in the societies of Western Europe,Britain and Ireland. The Celtic Druids served their communities by combining the duties of seer, priest, poet, philosopher, historian, scholar, teacher, doctor, astronomer and astrologer. TheDruid priests and priestesses also acted as mediums through which the spirits could besummoned and heard. Rituals throughout the history of the Celtic Druids were enacted in sacredgroves of oak trees and circles of standing stones. The Celtic Druids were advisers to the rulersof that time, acted as judges in the event of disputes, supervised executions and even controlledthe legal system. They were held in such respect that if they intervened between two armies they

could stop the battle.

In his description, Julius Caesar claimed that they were one of the two most importantsocial groups in the region, alongside the equites, or nobles, responsible for organizing worshipand sacrifices, divination and judicial procedure in British and Gaulish society. He also claimedthat they were exempt from military service and from the payment of taxes, and that they had the power to excommunicate people from religious festivals, making them social outcasts.

Pomponius Mela is the first author who says that the Druids' instruction was secret, andwas carried on in caves and forests. Druidic lore consisted of a large number of verses learned byheart, and Caesar remarked that it could take up to twenty years to complete the course of study.

What was taught to Druid novices anywhere is mere speculation: of the Druids' oral literature,not a single certifiably ancient verse is known to have survived, even in translation. Allinstruction was communicated orally, but for ordinary purposes, Caesar reports, the Gauls had awritten language in which they used Greek characters. In this he probably draws on earlier writers; by the time of Caesar, Gaulish inscriptions had moved from the Greek script to the Latinscript.



Classical texts refer to Druids only in Gaul and Britain, so one could assume they existedonly there. However, the same texts do not mention their existence in Ireland, and we do knowthat the Druids were there. As Druids were the intellectual members of the Celts, we could probably safely surmise where ever you found Celts, a Druid was sure to be, underground or otherwise.

2. Beliefs and values

As history tells us, the Celts had developed a highly sophisticated religious system, withthree divisions of Druids: the lowest division, the Ovates, was the healers and seers, the seconddivision, the Bards, who memorized the songs, poems, and stories of the tribe and the Druids,who taught moral philosophy and were experts in the workings of natural science. This may also

be connected to the symbolism of the number 3, so important to them. They recognized theauthority of a single leader, or Archdruid, who would rule till their death, when a successor would be chosen by vote or through conflict.

For their rituals and sacrifices, Druids are known to round around a Druid¶s Circle, whichis a popular name for circles of standing stones such as Stonehenge, perhaps the most famousexample. Great mounds of earth were also built where the practice of seeking rebirth within theEarth was performed (in which initiates would sit in darkness awaiting the time of their rebirth).The best example of this is found at New Grange in Ireland, where a shaft is oriented to theWinter Solstice sunrise, so that the dawn rays can bathe the initiate in sunlight after his or her vigil through the night.

Druids were animists, believing that gods and goddesses inhabited every natural being,feature and phenomenon. Lugus (thus named for the light months on the calendar) was the godof light, Maponis the god of darkness, Nemetoma was the goddess of the sacred grove, andMantosuelta was the goddess of the winding brooks. Druids did believe in an afterlife. They believed that men's souls as well as the universe were indestructible, although fire and water maytemporarily prevail at times.

They believed that when you died you moved onto the Otherworld, and there was acontinual exchange between worlds, the borders were fluid. A murderer was killed not out of revenge but for nature¶s balance in that if a human life is not given for a human life, the ruling

gods cannot be appeased. Likewise, a birth meant the death of someone in the Otherworld andincluded mourning for the soul that left the Otherworld. Evidentially they made loans to otherswith the repayment to take place in the Otherworld or next life. For Druids, being so close tonature made the woods, forests and groves sacred areas, places of power and danger that playedmajor roles in Celtic religion. Also, regarding the nature element of the religion, the oak andmistletoe were most sacred, no ritual being held without them. Mistletoe had to be grown on oak,which was rare. Geese were, as well, sacred.



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And as mentioned earlier the number 3 had an important role in their beliefs, appearingregularly. Deities had three names, three aspects, three faces, three heads. The Celts saw thehuman as body, soul and spirit. The world was divided into earth, sea and air. The divisions of nature were animal, vegetable and mineral. The cardinal colours were red, yellow and blue.

Druids had a major role in the Christianization of the Celtic nation. Early Christian Celticsaints were Druids or the children of Druids. When Christianity took over, the Druids, being theintellects, were the first Celts to adopt the new beliefs, and combined both thoughts to form whatwe now call the Celtic Church. Thus, Druids slowly began to vanish.

3. Sacrifices and Magic

As the Celts do appear to have performed human sacrifices as a part of the religiousrituals, it is almost sure that Druids, given their role in society as a religious/priestly/scholar class, have participated and performed the sacrificial rituals themselves. That being said, thereare three sorts of data regarding Celtic and Druid human sacrifices.

a) Historical documents:

³The Romans put a stop bot h to t hese customs and to t he ones connected wit h sacrificeand divination, as t hey were in conflict wit h our own ways: for example, t hey would

strike a man who had been consecrated for sacrifice in t he back wit h a sword, and make prophecies based on his deat h- spasms; and t hey would not sacrifice wit hout t he presence

of t he Druids. Ot her kinds of human sacrifices have been reported as well: some ment hey would shoot dead wit h arrows and impale in t he temples; or t hey would construct a

huge figure of straw and wood, and having t hrown cattle and all manner of wild animalsand humans into it, t hey would make a burnt offering of t he whole t hing.´

(Strabo in his Geograph y)



³ All t he people of Gaul are completely devoted to religion, and for t his reason t hosewho are greatly affected by diseases and in t he dangers of battle eit her sacrifice human

victims or vow to do so using t he Druids as administrators to t hese sacrifices, since it is judged t hat unless for a man's life a man's life is given back, t he will of t he immortal gods

cannot be placated. In public affairs t hey have instituted t he same kind of sacrifice.

Ot hers

have effigies of great size interwoven wit

htwigs, t

he limbs of w

hich

are filled upwit h living people which are set on fire from below, and t he people are deprived of life surrounded by flames. It is judged t hat t he punishment of t hose who participated in t heft

or brigandage or ot her crimes are more pleasing to t he immortal gods; but when t he supplies of t his kind fail, t hey even go so low as to inflict punishment on t he innocent.´

(Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico , V6)

b) A few medieval Irish texts and Mythological tales

c) Archaeological data: The most important source of info is the body of the man placed

in Lindow bog, also known as ³ L

indow Man´, in the first or second century C.E. The body was so well preserved that scientists were able to analyze his stomach contentsto discover his last meal (a partially scorched grain cake). Lindow man was almostcertainly a ritual sacrifice; he was strangled, hit on the head, and had his throat cut, inquick order, then surrendered to the bog. This pattern fits the "t hree- fold " deathreferred to in medieval Irish tales. What's more, the man seems to have been of highsocial rank, and a willing victim.

Another interesting fact about the human sacrifices performed by the Druids would bethat more than 2,000 years ago, in the area we know now as Ireland, England, Scotland andWales, Druid priests held the belief that evil spirits were responsible for bringing about theadvent of cold weather and shorter hours of daylight. To placate the spirits, the priests initiated afestival honoring Samhain, the lord of the dead, or Halloween as it¶s known today. The festivaltook place on Oct. 31, the day before the beginning of the Celtic New Year.

Now, about Druid magic. It observes nature, dances and works with it, rather thanattempting to do things out of the natural order. Druid magic is for self-growth, for thedevelopment of abilities, and raising consciousness. The life of nature was their life, and theywere a part of its larger community. Ancient Druids had a vast knowledge of herbal cures andknew the magical properties of nature. They knew the value of Mother Nature's natural remediesto cure physical and psychological illnesses. The rituals they used included the use of candles,stones, earth, herbs, and incense to strengthen the value of their spells. This is where they gotrenowned for their ability as healers.

A curious fact about their foretelling skills is that they were based on the flight and criesof birds, and in particular the raven. Even today the association of the raven with prophecy and protection is openly fostered in the heart of London at the Tower. Another fact is that womenwere not isolated from those practices, having an important role in the Celtic pantheon. Thefemale deity in the Celtic belief system is considered more important and more powerful. Theonly day of the week named after a female deity is Friday ± Freya (the goddess of war). Danu



(Mother Nature or the Great Mother) held the highest position within their belief system.Priestesses were not only revered and highly honored; they were also head of the household.

II. NOW

1. Druid Revival and Neo-Druidism

" Grant O Goddess, t h y protectionand in protection, strengt h

and in strengt h , understanding and in understanding, knowledge

and in knowledge, t he knowledge of justiceand in t he knowledge of justice, t he love of it

and in t he love of it, t he love of all existencesand in t he love of all existences, t he love of Goddess and all Goodness"

-The Druid¶s Prayer

In the 18th century, England and Wales experienced a Druid revival, inspired by peoplesuch as John Aubrey, John Toland and William Stukely. Aubrey was the first modern writer toconnect Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments with Druidry, connections which areconsidered by some to be a misconception that shaped ideas of Druidry during much of the 19thcentury.

Modern Druidic groups have their roots in this revival, and some claim that Aubrey wasan Archdruid in possession of an uninterrupted tradition of Druidic knowledge. John Toland wasfascinated by Aubrey's Stonehenge theories, and wrote his own book, without crediting Aubrey.He has also been claimed as an Archdruid. The Ancient Druid Order claim that Toland held agathering of Druids from all over Britain and Ireland in a London tavern, the Appletree, in 1717.The Ancient Order of Druids itself was founded in 1781, led by Henry Hurle. Another centralfigure of the Druidic revival is Edward Williams, known as Iolo Morganwg. His writings, published after his death as ³The Iolo Manuscripts´, in 1848, and ³ Barddas´ in 1862, remaininfluential in the contemporary Druidic movements. He was also one of the first people toorganize Druidic rituals in his time.

Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by itsfollowers, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony andworship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. Many forms of modernDruidry are Neopagan religions, whereas others are instead seen as philosophies that are not



necessarily religious in nature. Originating in Britain during the 18th century, it was, initially, acultural movement, only gaining religious or spiritual connotations in the 19th century.

The core principle of Druidry is, like in ancient times, respect and veneration of nature. Itoften involves participation in the environmental movement. Another preponderant belief

amongst modern Druids is the veneration of ancestors, especially those who belonged to prehistoric societies. Arising from the 18th century Romanticist movement in Britain, whichglorified the ancient Celtic peoples of the Iron Age, the early Druids aimed to imitate the IronAge priests who were also known as Druids. At the time, little accurate information was knownabout these ancient priests, and the modern Druidic movement had few connections to them,despite some claims to the contrary made by modern Druids.

In the first half of the twentieth century, modern Druids developed fraternal organizationsmodeled on Freemasonry that employed the romantic figure of the British Druids and Bards assymbols of indigenous British spirituality. Some of these groups were purely fraternal andcultural, creating traditions from the national imagination of Britain. Others merged withcontemporary movements such as the physical culture movement and naturism. Since the 1980ssome modern Druid groups have adopted similar methodologies to those of CelticReconstructionist Paganism in an effort to create a more historically accurate practice. However,there is still controversy over how much resemblance modern Druidism may or may not have tothe Iron Age druids.

The theology of the modern Druidic movement is inherently nature-based, equatingdivinity with the natural world. However, the specifics of Druidry have changed over thecenturies, from a God-centered monotheistic tradition to a Goddess-centered polytheistictradition.

Phil Ryder stated that "wit hin Druidry, Nature is considered to be unconditionally sacred and an expression or manifestation of deity and divinity". Many Druids are animists, thoughanimism is sometimes misnamed by modern commentators as "nature worship." Most Druidssee the aspects of nature as imbued with spirit or soul, be it literally or metaphorically. SomeDruids consider animals and plants to be members, like the deities of the Celts, of a túat h, or



tribe and therefore honor them. Because they view the natural world as sacred, many Druids areinvolved in environmentalism, thus acting to protect areas of the natural landscape that are under threat from development or pollution.

The practices of modern Druids typically take place outside, in the daylight, in what is

described as "t he eye of t

he sun". In some cases, they perform their rites indoors, or during thenight. Most Druids perform ceremonies within a circle around an altar or central fire. Neo-Druids

often meet and practice in groups called variously " groves" or "henges´. They might also meet atstone circles and other megaliths which are pre-Celtic, but which since the romantic revival have been associated in the popular imagination with the ancient druids. At the Summer solstice, a Neo-Druidic ritual is notably held at Stonehenge in England. When performing rituals, somemodern Druids wear ceremonial cloaks and robes, which in some cases imitate the Iron Age styleof the Celts. In some orders, robes or tabards of different colors are used to indicate the grade of the Druid within the order. In the case of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, the colors blue,green, and white are respectively assigned to these grades. Some modern Druids also use ritualstaffs, a symbolic magical instrument long associated with both Druids and wizards generally.

Many modern Druids do not adopt any ceremonial garb.

2. Influence in Video Games

Amongst other areas of modern culture where Druids have been used as means of inspiration, video games are not to be overlooked. Here, Druids tend to be devoted to nature,treat civilization with suspicion, and be neutral and balance-seeking in their overall outlook. TheDruid class is almost always that of a nature priest who gains spells and abilities based on

wisdom, but rather than getting their spells and abilities from their deity of choice, they get their powers from nature itself. Druids often have healing capabilities, same as their ancient real-lifecounterparts, and may be able to use positive buffs and, even if there are only a handful of Druids that can do it, resurrect others.

Druids are very often associated with races that preserve,or, at least, do no harm to nature. In the Warcraft universeDruids are firstly associated with Night Elves and come in twoforms, Druids of the Claw and Druids of the Talon. Later on,Druids become part of other races as well, maintaining their status of keepers of nature and preservers of balance. These

Druids have access to healing and curing spell as well asmovement hindering spells. There are three paths that a Druidcan follow (the number 3 being sacred to the Celtic Druids): the path of Balance, the Feral path and the Path of Restoration.Druids also appear in Andrzej Sapkowski¶s ³The Witcher ́ saga,which inspired the videogame series with the same name. Here,Druids are scholars of the forest, and their understanding of nature's workings is deep. They take in wild animals and help



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Another song about Druids is ³ A Druid¶s passing ́ from Cruachan, a Folk Metal bandfrom Dublin, Ireland. This song refers to a Druid¶s sacrifice, by his own will. The place of thissacrifice is probably Stonehenge, or at least a stone circle similar to it. It talks about the Druidfast-forwarding through the moments of his life, and about the fact that he has known no shamein it. Another important fact is that the Druid is shown as returning ³ Back to t he eart h from

wh

encehe came.´, thus presenting one of the Druids¶ ancient beliefs about the nature of thehuman and his path before, in and after his life.

Lyrically speaking, modern artists focus more on Celtic legends which include Druids.Their influence can also be seen in the use of certain traditional or sometimes unusualinstruments specific to the Celtic regions, instruments such as the harp and bagpipe. Also, certainarrangements of notes and chords can give songs a Celtic sound, no matter the instrument. That being said, some other artists who mention the Druids in their works are: Loreena McKennit,The Chieftains, Omnia or Xera.

As for Druids in movies, there are a lot of films and TV series with and about Merlin,who is portrayed as an eccentric, charismatic and arrogant Druid, feared by Britons and Saxonsalike, who struggles to restore the pagan ways of the pre-Roman Britain in face of the rapid proliferation of Christianity. Furthermore, in 2007, the film ³The Last Legion´ portrayed Merlin(initially called Ambrosinus) as a Druid and tutor of both the last Roman Emperor RomulusAugustus Caesar, as well as of his son Arthur.

Conclusion

Ancient Druids were an important part of society, not only because of the multitude of roles they could fulfill, but also thanks to their knowledge of herbs and curing methods as well asthe spiritual importance they owned. They were a rather unique element of antiquity andknowing that a part of their image and ideology, despite the scarcity of available information,still lives in modern times, stands out as being quite impressive. Struggling to turn Druidism intoan official religion in times when Christianity is predominant is a statement, small, but definitelynot worth ignoring, the same as evoking them in music, films and video games. It is surelyheartwarming that some people take interest into things that are easily forgotten by others, andtry to apply their values to today¶s world, if not out of desire to make certain aspects of modern

life better, then simply for the sake of diversity and open-mindedness.

druids then and now

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