Celtic and Druidic Society
The Celts
Most importantly we are free. Free in thought, body, and soul. It is no longer the blood, but the spirit that makes us what we are. We are Celts.---Leomarin MacDunelmor
Long ago in the mountains of eastern-most Europe there lived a people who used axes as their weapon of choice. They were called the Battle-Axe people. In western Europe there lived a people who used bows to hunt and carried water in beaker-like flasks. These were a nomadic people who wandered far. They were called the Beaker people. In time these two peoples met and merged, forming the beginnings of the Keltic tribes.
These early Kelts were mostly tall with blonde or red hair and blue or green eyes. They took to mining tin, bronze, gold, silver, and salt. As their culture grew, so did their trade. They created versions of many things which are still with us today, such as soap, shampoo, and the concept of crop rotation. They were the first European people to forge iron. As their fame for these advancements spread, another group of people, the Scythians (ancestors to the Cossacks), sought the Kelts. The Kelts marveled at the sleek and beautiful horses the Scythians brought, for they had not seen such beasts before.
With horses now in their possession, the Kelts moved west and settled the lands of Gaul and Iberia and eventually the Breton Isles. The mingling of Keltic blood with the Scythians also introduced darker hair and eye color into the Keltic heritage.
I will focus on the Gaulish society as that is where my blood comes from and the knowledge my family passed on to me. The society had a class system, but the classes had no rank; one was not higher than another. It was a society based on ability rather than birthright. Another item of note was that women were considered to be equal to men in all aspects of the society except one; women had sole right to their children and bloodlines were matrilineal. This was for the very good reason that the mother of a child is always known, whereas the father can sometimes be hard to determine. Women could be members of all classes of society (farmer, warrior, bard, or druid) and hold any rank within a class.
The Gaulish Kelts were a people who loved fun in all of its forms. Food, fight, song, dance, and lovemaking were all favorite activities. The Kelts were quick to anger, quick to fight, and quick to forgive. Sex only carried emotional attachment if both parties wished it. It was not considered wrong to have sex with someone other than your spouse as long as your spouse agreed.
Classes
Farmer -- Most Kelts were just this, intelligent farmers who tried to work with the ways of the world around them to produce food for their people while doing the least amount of damage possible to the land. In the off seasons they trained with the warriors as reserves.
Warrior -- Fierce and powerful, the Keltic warriors were masters of the horse and wielders of the longsword and bow. They trained to protect their people and enforce the laws of the tribe. The best among them were the Lord (sometimes called the King or Queen depending on the tribe) and the Champion. The Lord was the leader of the tribe in times of battle. The Champion existed to settle matters between tribes in single combat.
Bard -- Judges and poets, the Bards were the loudest to laugh and the quickest to cry. The Chief Bard was given the duty to decide if the laws that were made were fair. They also determined when the laws had been broken. The Bards were entrusted with the history of the tribe. The Kelts had an oral tradition and their history and stories were passed down in song and verse. Bards were capable warriors due to the nature of some of the dances they learned. A Bard was inviolate in battle as their presence was necessary to record the deeds of the battle for history.
Druid -- Druids were the wise folk of the tribes. Their duty was to keep their tribe in balance with the Otherworld and Nature. They created the laws of the tribe and sought ways to improve the lives of their people. They were the healers and seers.
When decisions truly needed to be made that affected the entire tribe, the tribe would call a Council. This Council was comprised of three of the wisest farmers, the Lord(Lady) Warrior, the Champion, the head Bard, a Master Bard (second to the Head Bard), the Head Druid, and a Master Druid (second to the Head Druid), thus making a council of nine. Although usually only those who could yell the loudest would be heard, most often the decisions reached were just and fair and benefitted the majority of the people. The Council was held in neutral area, and those assembled would debate the issue until they arrived at a solution all could agree upon. No one person led the Council as all seats were equal in rank.
The Kelts were extremely tribal, loyal to their family and their tribe but often having few things in common with the next nearest tribe. Each tribe had a slightly different version of the Keltic language, as well as often having different gods and goddesses.
The Druids
We hold great power, and with that power comes an even greater responsibility. The tribe looks to us for guidance and wisdom. Our duty is to them and to Nature, and we will follow that duty even if it costs us all.---Galeain ip Altiem MacDunelmor
First, let us address some of the popular misconceptions I have encountered about Druidism. The largest by far is the practice of taking what little is found in books, all written by non-Celtic authors and most written by antagonistic groups (i.e., the Romans and the early Christians), and using this information as dogma. While some of these authors may not have been truly antagonistic, and even admiring from afar, anything they viewed that the Druids did was from not only an ousider's but another culture's point of view. They therefore were unable to recognize which acts had significance and which did not, which things were symbolic and which were not. An observer seeing a druid cut a mistletoe sprig from an oak with a sickle wearing white and performing this act on the 6th night after the new moon could very easily believe that this was a ritual and standard occurrence, when indeed it may have only held importance for that particular druid.
Another common misconception is that women were slightly inferior druids to men, and that women and men druids should always work apart. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the druidic orders, women and men were considered equal, and would rise in accordance with their abilities. The Druids felt that by women and men working together, they were able to achieve the greatest balance and therefore the greatest power in their ceremonies and magic. It wasn't until much later when outside cultural influences had begun to change the Celtic peoples as a whole that men and women split in the druidic orders. So while this split did exist, it was not viewed as a favorable change and most felt that the rituals and magic lost much of its power by the imbalance of this situation.
Many people think, and even insist, that the Druids were completely wiped out, first by the Roman massacres and later by the Christian conversions. While it is true that not many survived, some lived to pass on their knowledge in secret, usually through their families and most likely using the oral tradition of their peoples so there would be no record of their survival. In several families across Europe the Druid knowledge was preserved in this secret manner so as to avoid persecution. Some of these families lost their lore, others were eventually found and killed or converted. Many of the remaining families merged through marriage. Thus a handful survived to pass down their traditions and lore. However, this knowledge was sometimes preserved at great cost as some families became paranoid and xenophobic, hating or fearing all outside of the family and by this losing part of the great love and pride that was the Celtic nature. These families are unwilling to share any of the lore they preserved even when times have changed so that persecution is no longer a threat. Much of the lore was lost even in these families, and much more has changed due to the passage of time. The Druidic knowledge evolved as the world did, and since Druids embrace change, even those families that survived have knowledge that is different from the Gaulish Celtic Druids.
There is a debate over whether or not Druids were the "priests" of the Celtic peoples. In fact they were not really priests. They did not guide the people in their faith as faith was seen to be an individual matter. The most they might have done in the matter of another's faith would be to help them find the balance in themselves. One of the best terms I have heard is one the Greeks used upon their encounter with the Celts. The Greeks termed them "natural philosophers" and as the Druids spent much of their time exploring the mysteries of nature and the universe, this term to me is the most apt description of the Druids. As discussed in the Celtic Society section, Druids were not part of a "noble" or "ruling" class, but merely one necessary part of the whole of Celtic society.
History
Ancient Druidism was forged from the shamanistic philosophies of the early peoples who merged to form the Celts. This gave them a system which was deeply rooted in the ways of Nature and the Spirit world. The word Druid comes from an ancient Celtic word , druii, meaning "Wise" (and closely related to the word meaning "Oak" ) and id which means "One", so druid means Wise One. Eventually Druids formed a belief structure which revovled around the concept of balance in all things.
The earliest Druids most likely started out as small closely-knit groups working together to help their specific tribes. While this worked well at first when there were but a handful of tribes, the various groups of Druids soon realized that in order to keep their own tribe in balance they needed to understand the other tribes as well. This realization led to cooperation between the various druii groups. As the tribes grew and more tribes formed due to growing population, the druii began to work ever more closely together in an effort to pool their knowledges and understand their world more clearly. By the time the Scythians merged with the Celts, the Druii groups had become one group dedicated to keeping all the tribes in balance with Nature and the Otherworld. Around this time the Celtic people, recognizing that the Druii were among the wisest of them, gave unto the Druii the power to create the laws which Celtic society would follow.
Also around this time, certain druids began to stand out. They possessed great memory and a love of music and sound. They were very passionate and filled with the histories and tales of their people. They became known as Bardghs and soon were given their own place within Celtic society. They were the judges of the laws that the Druii created, and they were the historians, poets, and musicians of the tribes.
After the merge, the Celtic peoples moved westward, finally settling in the regions of Gaul and Iberia, today known as France and Spain. Later they also expanded to Albion and Eire and the surrounding isles (the British Isles today). During their journeys they discovered new animals, plants and terrains. From these they learned new knowledges which they incorporated into their society and beliefs. When they arrived in Gaul they discovered a rich land, fertile and suited to a wide variety of crops. They established a thriving culture and it is the Gaulish Celts who achieved many of the greatest inventions and became one of the most advanced cultures of that era.
Druidic Mindset
Above all, Druids are known for their curiosity and their willingness to discover the answer to any questions they may have. They are also known for their extreme dedication to their people and to Nature. Druids are very open-minded, often to the point where they will accept any idea as possible until it is proven wrong. Druids believe that there are many paths to enlightenment and to truth, and that no one path is "better" than another. All have validity.
Training
Druids began their training at a young age, around five years of age or as soon as the gift was recognized within the person. This training could continue for at least fifteen years and as much as twenty. The nature of the training was harsh both upon the body and the mind, for one of the key factors in Nature is survival and the ability to manipulate the raw powers of Nature. One needed great endurance for Druidic training. Usually the student had no one teacher. All the Druids of a community would share knowledge. Even students would teach those lessons they had learned to newer pupils, and in this way students could advance as fast as their natural abilities would take them.
Druids and Bards started training in the same manner. Both learned the histories of their people and the laws that the tribe currently followed, and both learned the basic tenets of the other's class. Thus a Druid had basic Bard craft, and a Bard knew the first lessons of Druidism. This was to ensure that the two classes would have a firmer understanding of each other as they often needed to work closely together.
One who studies Druidism becomes knowledgeable in as many areas as possible. They learn information and absorb it and cherish it no matter how trivial it seems at the time. In essence a Druid is a "walking encyclopedia". They use each piece of lore they gather to further their understanding of the workings of the universe and the worlds around them, both seen and unseen.
Druidic Rankings
Advancement in Druidic society is twofold. First, the student must demonstrate a firm grasp of the knowledges they have gained, often in the manner of an oral presentation where they state the lore they have learned and what it means to them. A Druid must be more than a mere storehouse of information, they must be able to personally interpret the lore they learn. Second, the student receives a sign from Nature that s/he is ready to advance.
The positions that one holds in Druidic society is based upon the structure of a tree.
The first is the Leaf (Guiteraes). A Leaf is expected to absorb as much information as they possibly can. Within this time they begin to order their mind and learn basic control over the body. To move to the next level they must demonstrate an ability to recite what they have learned and tell why it matters.
At this point they advance to the Branch (Maghivellwyn). The Branch learns animal lore and plant lore and how to commune with living and nonliving things. They will absorb much information from these lessons. At this time they also learn how to commune with the elements and basic healing, combative, defensive, and divining magics. They must often prove their skills in a contest against Nature in which other Druids use both magic and physical obstacles to test the student.
Upon success of the Branch test, the student is now considered a full Druid (though a druid never stops learning). They are called the Trunk (Llwellyn). At this point they are expected to make their own path to gain knowledge. They study what most fascinates them, sharing whatever lore they gain with others. This stage in druidic training is highly dangerous as they are always experimenting with new magics and new methods for older magics. They are expected to devote some of their time each day for the betterment of both their tribe and Nature.
At some point, if a druid survives the Trunk level, Nature will call the druid to lead. They become the Root (Themaoddis). They are now called a Head Druid. They are expected to aid other druids and they are aware of what happens both within and without their grove. They are most responsible for the making of the tribal laws. They are the link between both the Otherworld and Nature for other druids.
Sometimes even this is not enough and Nature will call upon the most powerful and wise of druids to lead all the Druids of an area. They are known as the Tree or the World Around the Tree (Aretha). They are expected to solve whatever imbalances are present in their area at the time they take this position.
Life Within the Tribe
All druids chose different abodes and styles of life. Some lived in houses along with others of their tribe. Others lived in caves. Still others had no specific abode, but lived outside within the Nature that they served. Druids usually preferred simple dress, most often a robe. The color of the robe did not need to be a specific color; rather, the color was whatever preferred by the wearer. The exception to this is that Leaves and Branches almost always wore gray (symbolizing formlessness or potential). Only in very specific rituals would a druid wear a pre-determined color, and even then it was not mandatory. Druids were often given whatever material things they needed by others in the tribe (food, water, clothing, shelter if requested).
Druidic Views on Magic
Magic is the potential for creation. This potential exists within all things. Magic is the energy that exists within everything, living and nonliving, spirit and substance. This energy connects all. Druids draw upon the energy in themselves as well as the energy of the things around them to perform magic. This energy is never taken forcibly from others but always politely requested. Thanks and offerings to those beings who assist the druid are common. A Druid uses this energy to aid others. Arrogance has no place in Druidic magic. If anything, a druid is profoundly respectful for s/he realizes the existence of many, many beings of far greater power than the druid, and s/he is aware of how little s/he knows and how much there is still to learn.
Druidic Thought on Sacrifice
Most would cringe to know that sacrifice was a part of Druidism. Sacrifice was also a part, at one point or another, of nearly every culture in the world. Sacrifices, both animal and human, that were performed by Druids followed a few very specific rules. First : the sacrifice must be willing. Second : the sacrifice must feel NO PAIN. Those were the two unbreakable rules of sacrifice, for to break these rules rendered the sacrifice unfit for its purpose. Druids perform sacrifices as appeals to the Otherworld for aid and as pleas to sway the forces of Nature to a particular act. No unwilling sacrifice would carry an appeal to spirits or the forces of Nature. Likewise, a sacrifice feeling pain would be in no condition to relate the appeal to the Otherworld or Nature in understandable terms. Sacrifice in this manner is no longer a necessary part of Druidism.
Druidism for the Solitary Druid
It is difficult for a Druid to be solitary because the original structure of Druidism was that of a group working together. A druid assists anyone in need of aid, and a solitary without others for support is often weighed down by the press of all s/he needs to do. Those who wish to be solitary Druids might find it easiest to help people in specific areas, perhaps those they most excel in, rather than trying to solve every problem they encounter. In addition, since a solitary has no one to test and gauge progress, s/he must have a strong connection to Nature, as Nature will be the primary teacher. A solitary must still gather large amounts of knowledge. Without a group to share in this task, the solitary is solely responsible in searching for lore wherever they can. However, a Druid working alone will learn great inner strength and power from treading the solitary path. Often a solitary's connection with Nature is much stronger than that of a Druid within a grove. All the information within these pages can be adapted for solitary practice and still retain its validity, essence, and power
Celtic and Druidic Societ
|