On Druidry

[Julie]

"Trees Touching" ~ Julie

Even the word “Druid” is subject to interpretation. Some say it comes from the Celtic word for “oak”—dru—and the Indo-European root—wid—”to know”: the Druid is the knower of trees and the forest. Others believe it comes from the Proto-Indo-European roots for “strong”—deru—and “to see”—weid—together meaning a gifted seer.[1] Some say Druidry started in India, or Egypt. Mystics such as Dion Fortune point to Atlantis.

So, what do we actually know for certain about ancient Druidry? Not very much, and what we do know may be unreliable. Caesar’s writings are one of the earliest sources; but of course he had his own agenda, and there are multiple problems and paradoxes within his accounts. According to Caesar, Druidry originated in Britain about 2,500 years ago. He recounts that Druids were teachers, concerned with “divine wisdom”: they attended public and private sacrifices, and acted as judges and arbitrators. They didn’t fight in wars and were exempt from military taxes—it was a prestigious position. Druids learned verse by heart, and didn’t write anything down (hence our lack of knowledge). They had discussions about “the stars and their movement, the size of the cosmos and the earth, the world of nature, the powers of deities.” The Roman invasion in the first century CE marked the end of Ancient Druidry. In the ensuing centuries, Anglo-Saxon paganism was wiped out as the people converted to Christianity.

From Philip Carr-Gomm’s What Do Druids Believe? (London: Granta, 2006).

Original Article Published in Emergence Magazine

Link to the Druidry website for this complete article