Druidism

Druidism – The Faith of the Ancient Celts of Ireland

     I love to study different cultures.  As a teen, I would read books and magazines about different peoples:  Eskimos, the Cherokee, pygmies, the Polynesians, to name a few.  Recently, I was drawn to Ireland.  My great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1848.  After my father died, I inherited his files on our family history.  About the same time, I read a book, Celtic Evangelism, that tweaked my interest in early Christianity among the Irish.  I then began finding other books about the Celts and the Christian movement during the period of 300 AD to about 600 AD.  There was one piece missing – the Druid religion.

            The Christian mission to Celts was among the first outside of the Roman Empire.  It was also one with little or no bloodshed.  What made the difference?  I suspected that it was partly due to the nature of the religion and culture of the Celtic people.  I was drawn to this course to gain more insight into that process.  I also wanted to learn principles that transcend time to incorporate into the ministry I am called to.

            The primary sources of Druidism are found in the writings of Julius Caesar and other Romans.  Archaeology has filled some of the gaps.  Tombs, artifacts, uncovered corpses, and homes have all given additional insight into the people who practiced Druidism.

            Druidism is a religion that falls under the category of "paganism."   It is a system of worship and spirituality that honors creation.  It includes many gods and goddesses.  It promotes a belief of reincarnation.  This produced warriors who valued life differently than other cultures.  They would be fierce fighters who did not fear death. 

            Both the Druids and Celtic people loved knowledge.  A typical Druid spends a lifetime in study.  Thus, this would promote an emphasis on elders.  There would be respect for these elder Druids to such a degree that they could move with impunity throughout the isles and advise kings without interference.  Kings and royalty would often send their children to be educated by the druids.

            Bards were a very important part of the religion and culture.  Music, poetry, and stories were the media of the Celts. Theirs was a rich oral tradition.  They developed a system of stories and songs designed to pass on learning, tradition, laws and history. 

            The Ovates were the prophets and the physicians of the druids.  They connected the people with the dead.  They were consulted by the people when crops were failing or a business was starting.

            I was able to see the connections between the early Christians and the Druids.  These connections were vital to the advance of Christianity into the Celtic culture.  The following are just some of what I discerned from this course:

            1)  The emphasis on the good of creation is found in much of the writings of the early Christians in Ireland.   This appears to be an influence of Druidism.

            2)  The monasteries established by Christians became a form of university or college for the Irish.  The Christian monks copied not only scriptures but many ancient documents of their world.  The love of learning was carried over from the Celts to the Christians is certainly an influence of Druidism.  It may have been fueled by bards and druids converting to Christianity.

            3)  The early Christians in the British Isles developed a literary form called a "hagiography." These hagiographies were stories of the early saints.  These stories are filled with miracles and wonders that make the early saints appear almost godlike.  Again, I see the influence of the Druid bards.  I recently uncovered a book published in Dublin, Ireland, in 1906 by Richard Eglinton titled, "Bards and Saints."    Note the following excerpt from this work:

But besides the advantage of Patrick's personality, Christianity seems to have been able to profit by an imbroglio arising out of the defection from Druidism, about a century and a half previously, of the great Kjng Cormac, who is said finally to have been slain by the Druids for having renounced their teaching. The bards, we may believe, went mostly with their king, and there was a consequent division between bardism and Druidism which proved highly serviceable to Patrick (Eglinton, 27).

            4)  The Celtic culture and the Druids placed a higher value on women than other cultures of their time.  St. Brigit established a double monastery and it is believed she was ordained a bishop as well.  The fact that she was not hindered in her work suggests that the culture was still open to women leadership in Christianity as they were under Druidism.

            5)  Community and family were valued by the Celts and Druids.  This concept carried over into Christianity.  The typical monastery was constructed along the lines of Celtic custom.  The monasteries in time became towns as those who converted moved to be closer to their "new family" in Christ. 

            6)  The relative freedom that the monks, priests, and bishops enjoyed in the Isles appears to be a hold over form the freedom that the Ovates, Bards, and Druids enjoyed among the Celts.

            Overall, I enjoyed what I learned from this course.  There is much to like.  The discussions on the Druid forum were encouraging.  This course caused me to continue my search for more on Druids and also opened me up to study paganism – another course on my list!

Rev. Daniel Moore

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