WHAT DID THE ANCIENT DRUIDS BELIEVE?
A complete and full answer to this question is beyond the scope of this book, for it is not a thing easily summarised in a few lines. Your humble author has been attempting to decipher this problem for over twelve years. Perhaps an outline of some of the important points will suffice. An Irish triad reads: “Three candles that illuminate every darkness: Knowledge, Nature, Truth”. This is one of hundreds of Triads that impart wisdom for many aspects of life, both spiritual and mundane, but this one is the author’s first best choice for a simple description of the highest good in Druidism. The most prominent teaching attributed to the Druids by Roman writers was the belief that the human soul is immortal. Some writers attribute to Druids the Pythagorean belief in reincarnation. Others claim that the Druids taught that the soul is reborn in an otherworldly afterlife that is much the same as this one. The belief in immortality was so strong that people could put off repayment of debts to th
What Gods did the Druids worship? Was Stonehenge a Druidic temple? What about Glastonbury? Are there any other Druidic sites? Was Merlin a Druid? What modern Druid organisations exist? Internet Contacts Reading List INTRODUCTION I am a solitary practicing Druid, or Celtic Pagan, or what-have-you; labelling myself I thought to be unnecissary. I don’t belong to an order or coven, not because I feel these groups do not have merit, but because they do not always agree, and because at the moment I prefer solitary practice. I have Celtic ancestors. I like learning about the ancient Celts, specifically their beliefs and practices, and I have a desire to emulate them in a manner valid for myself and for this century. If you agree with one or more of these statements, you are probably drawn to Druidism, and this FAQ is for you. WHY DRUIDISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY? Why not? 🙂 Actually, there are a number of good reasons for modern people to consider Druidism. Some see it as a way to reconnect, or
Druidism, even though being almost undatable has existed into the far reaches of antiquity. Extending far beyond that of written history and the Druids themselves not using a rhetorical system for documenting their history, it is very difficult to say what their ritual, political, and clerical practices were exactly. Most of the literaturewe have today is or could be prejudicially written. By taking written history into account, and not looking specifically at religion, we can learn a lotabout the Celts and the Druids. The ancient Druids were the the most learned of all men of their time. Druids were the physicians, astronomers, mathematicians, musicians, poets, philosophers, legislators, judges, and teachers of religion and education. The Druids were held in such high regard that Kings and hierarchy would send their children to them to be taught in the ways of Druidism. It is said that the Druids could walk between two armies waged in war and dispel the hostilities causing them to dis
We don’t really know, as they left no written records. Druidism was passed on as an oral tradition. But we can surmise. The poetic tradition in Druidism comes from the method the Celts used to trace their lineage and history. Written records were distrusted for the most part, and though a runic writing system called Ogham did exist, it wasn’t used for much beyond burial markers and landmarks. Druids in training had to learn all the Bardic poetry; in a manner we would call sensory deprivation. Poetic inspiration was an important spiritual practice, which the Welsh have focused on in their Eisteddfod. In Irish myth there was a deity of poetry Brigid). Oak was the most important symbol in druidic lore, as it is strong, tall, and very long-lived. Mistletoe was said to have healing qualities. Other important trees were the yew, for its offspring grew from the dead stump of its parent, representing perpetually regenerating life. The Ogham alphabet was a list of tree names. Trees are importan
* A: We don’t really know, as they left no written records (and frankly, if anyone says they know, you should view them with great suspicion). Druidism was passed on as an oral tradition. But we can surmise. The poetic tradition in Druidism comes from the method the Celts used to trace their lineage and history. Written records were distrusted for the most part, and though a runic writing system called Ogham did exist, it wasn’t used for much beyond burial markers and landmarks. Druids in training had to learn all the Bardic poetry , in a manner we would call sensory deprivation. Poetic inspiration was an important spiritual practice, which the Welsh have focused on in their Eisteddfod. In Irish myth there was a deity of poetry – Brigid. Oak was the most important symbol in druidic lore, as it is strong, tall, and very long-lived. Mistletoe was said to have healing qualities. Other important trees were the yew, for its offspring grew from the dead stump of its parent, representing perp
