"
Druids were
the priests in the ancient Celtic societies of Britain and Ireland
until they were suppressed by the Romans and, later, Christianity.A
druid was not just a priest, but also an arbitrator, healer, scholar
and magistrate. They were also said to have had powers of divination..."
Druids were
the priests in the ancient Celtic societies of Britain and Ireland
until they were suppressed by the Romans and, later, Christianity.A
druid was not just a priest, but also an arbitrator, healer, scholar
and magistrate. They were also said to have had powers of divination
and magic.
The druids worshipped many
gods, and also revered the sun, moon, stars, fire, trees, tops of
hills, streams, lakes and even plants, especially mistletoe and holly. Their calendar year was governed by the lunar, solar, vegetative and herding cycles. The four main holidays
include imbolc to denote the first signs of spring, beltane to
recognise thefullness of life after spring, lughnasadh (also known as
lammas) to celebrate the ripening of first fruits, and samhain to
recognise the end of harvest and the lowering of the barrier between
the world of the living and that of the dead.
Druidic lore was preserved
by oral tradition - a large number of verses learned by heart - so
little is known today of ancient druidic practice.
We do know that there was a druidic teaching centre on Anglesey and druids went there from all over Europe.
Of the druids' oral teachings; sacred songs, formulas for prayers and incantations, rules of divination and magic, not one written verse has survived, even in translation; nor is there even a legend that can be called purely druidic, without a Roman and/or Christian overlay orinterpretation.Most of our knowledge about druids comes from Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Caesar noted that druids constituted the learned priestly class, who as well as being guardians of the unwritten laws, also had the power of executing judgements, among which exclusion from society was the most dreaded.Druids were not a hereditary caste, though they enjoyed exemption from military service as well as from payment of taxes. The course of training to which a novice had to submit was protracted - some claim it took 20 years."The principal point of their doctrine," says Caesar, "is that the soul does not die and that after death it passes from one body into another."The druids were suppressed in Gaul and Britain after the Roman conquests, but retained their influence in Ireland until the coming ofChristianity. ......
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Defining witchcraft
US town escapes 666 phone prefix
'Witches' face fine in Tajikistan
Campaigners bid to clear the 'witch'
Judge rules in favour of Harry Potter
Warlock allowed to break curfew on full moon
