Druid History

"Druidry is not a religion. It's a philosophy and you can worship a God or a Goddess, it's up to you. You can be a Christian or a Moslem or anything else and still be a Druid." -- Kieron, a North-East Druid

There is a great deal of misconception about the ancient Druids. This stems mainly from the fact that traditions were passed down by word of mouth, and not written down. As such, much of what we know comes from second hand accounts. In rare cases, these traditions have continued to pass down the generations. Just like modern religions, there were many different sects and sets of beliefs. We can only speak for those traditions that have been passed down and speculate about the others. In traditional druidry, various sects and groups are referred to as "groves". Our modern ideas of the Druids have been distorted by role-playing games and modern Druidism has been overtaken by new age and environmental activists. We do not worship any specific god, goddess, demon, trees, the earth or whatever, nor do we try to impose universal "truths" on our members. Members are free to find their own religions and beliefs, or none at all. Our forebears did have a respect for nature, trees, animals, and certain geographical areas. This had more to do with energies and spirits that were thought to dwell in these, than any kind of worship. To the ancient Druid, harnessing and controlling these powers was seen as a way to achieve those things they wanted in the material world. Sometimes sacrifices were made in hopes of gaining favor with these "spirits".

Druids were the keepers of knowledge, advisors to rulers, and the judges of their time. They utilized the Brehon Law, a Law which was admittedly biased towards the more powerful individuals in society, but a law which they had absolute jurisdiction over. Druids were highly respected. One did not trifle with druids if he knew what was good for him.

Druids were neither good nor evil, they tended to be on both sides of morality in the petty affairs of civilized men. Ideas of ultimate good and evil are the realms of religion. Druids believed that every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions.

Druids did believe in sacrifice. The nature of sacrifice is to give up something of one's own in order to gain something more important. Sacrifice often involved blood or semen, as these were seen as powerful substances of life. Our modern Order diverges from our forebears in that we do not make animal or human sacrifices. We do not believe that the life of another creature is ours to give, and therefore it is not a true sacrifice.

Sex as the generative force in nature is seen by Druids as something utterly sacred. There are no taboos regarding sex. There are no rules which prohibit nudity, pre-marital sex, multiple partners, bisexuality, or whatever. However, the physical act of sex is to be approached with great respect and responsibility.

Druids performed druideachta, which means magic. They did this through ritual, ceremony, and harnessing the forces of nature. It is important to note that our modern members do not have to believe in magic. If you do or don't, well that's your business. To some, magic may be seen as an act of psychology. Ceremonies and rituals may be seen as a way to focus and align the attention of members to a specific goal, or to generate a positive and confid! ent attitude that will bring about the desired results. People who are more scientifically inclined, might look to chaos theory and quantum mechanics, believing that an act of belief can affect reality on a quantum level.

There were three main classes in the Druid heirarchy: Bards, Ovates, and Druids.

Bards - In traditional Druidry, Bards were the keepers of tradition. They were the minstrels, poets, and storytellers of their time. Bard training lasted about twelve years. Bards learned grammar, the Ogham alphabet, folklore, philosophy, and druidic law. Bards were also expected to learn hundreds of poems and stories by heart. This was especially important since the ancient Druids did not believe in
writing anything down. Bards carried tree branches with bells on them. Wherever they went, the bells signalled people to be quiet so that they could tell their tales.

Ovates - Ovates were responsible for the mysteries of life and rebirth, and for their ability to transcend time. They could divine and foresee the future, and communicate with their ancestors. Ovates
learned augury, tree lore, herbalism, and healing.

Druids - Druids were judges, philosophers, teachers, and advisors. Druids were highly respected for their knowledge and insight. In traditional druidry, they trained over twenty years to attain their
position.