A Practice in Druidry

The History of Druidry

Druidry began in antiquity and, unfortunately, left next to nothing written down. What we do know about Druids comes from texts from the ancient Roman Empire as well as philosophers and academics across ancient Europe.

Proto-Druidry

There is a myth that Druids came from Atlantis, but in reality, Druidry emerged from tribes in Ireland and Britain, overlapping with indigenous practices of Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and North America. Some of these shared practices include:

Great stone structures were built in the beginnings of Druidry. Stonehenge is believed to be a sacred Druid site, built with stones that perfectly align in Midsummer. The sun positions between two standing stones, entering the gateway created. At dawn, in high summer, the sun penetrates the horseshoe. This structure promotes fertility to the land for another year, lending to the sun worship that was widely held coming out of the Ice Age in early human history.

Proto-Druids were wealthy with knowledge, understanding Pythagoran math enough to calculate positionings of the sun, moon, and stars.

Classical Druidry

Druidry became the established religion in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, with levels of different practicum: Bards are singers and poets; Ovates are diviners and healers; and Druids are philosophers and teachers. Nemetonae, or sacred groves, were established as their sites of practice and ritual. Druidry flourished at the center of Celtic culture until the Romans arrived.

Julius Caesar wrote about Druids running schools of verbal knowledge, occupying positions within community leadership as peacemakers, judges, philosophers, counselors, astrologers, singers, poets, healers, diviners, and teachers. By 52 BCE, Druids were using the Greek alphabet.

The Druids do not go to war, nor pay tribute together with the rest; they have an exemption from military service and a dispensation in all matters. Induced by such great advantages, many embrace this profession of their own accord, and [many] are sent to it by their parents and relations. They are said there to learn by heart a great number of verses; accordingly some remain in the course of training twenty years. Nor do they regard it lawful to commit these to writing, though in almost all other matters, in their public and private transactions, they use Greek characters. That practice they seem to me to have adopted for two reasons; because they neither desire their doctrines to be divulged among the mass of the people, nor those who learn, to devote themselves the less to the efforts of memory, relying on writing; since it generally occurs to most men, that, in their dependence on writing, they relax their diligence in learning thoroughly, and their employment of the memory. They wish to inculcate this as one of their leading tenets, that souls do not become extinct, but pass after death from one body to another, and they think that men by this tenet are in a great degree excited to valor, the fear of death being disregarded. They likewise discuss and impart to the youth many things respecting the stars and their motion, respecting the extent of the world and of our earth, respecting the nature of things, respecting the power and the majesty of the immortal gods.
—Julius Caesar in Chapter 14, Book 6 of De Bello Gallico, Latinitium

Romans invaded and massacred the Druids protecting the sacred isle of Mona, now called Anglesey in Wales. This tragic display of force was no match for the peaceful Druids, who were ultimately wiped out or forced into hiding. Emperor Claudius, noting the presence of Druids in leadership positions throughout the geographic area, banned the practice of Druidry in Gaul, and furthered Christian persecution of Druidry, attempting to eradicate any Druids that were left. Though the Roman Empire often allowed for local religious practice, Druidry was somehow seen as a threat to the Romans, likely due to their knowledge and standings in communities. Only the Christian-accepted Bard's Colleges were allowed to exist under Christian rule until the 18th century, a saving grace to the knowledge that the Druids held.

Druidry Underground

Two Druids in the king's court at Tara in Ireland prophesized Christianity's spread throughout western Europe: "...a new way of life was about to arrive from overseas, with an unheard-of and burdensome teaching, which would overthrow kingdoms, kill kings who resisted it, banish all works of their magic craft, and reign forever."

Pagan sites like sacred wells and hills became holy Christian pilgrimage sites as pagans turned more to Christianity to comply and, ultimately, live under Christian rule. Irish clerics easily turned pagan gods and goddesses into saints within the Christian religion, and over the course of a hundred years, most people in Europe became Christian. Druidry became more discreet as those who held the ancient knowledge of the Druids became clergy or the professional elite of the age. Ovates, the healers, continued to practice herbalism, midwifery, and divination with a Christian flair. Bards were already safely established as minstrels, poets, and scribes. Once the religious tide had turned to Christianity, Druids either worked alone or converted to Christianity while still respected members of the community as scholars, lawyers, judges, and teachers.

Christian scribes, thankfully, wrote down the old Druid wisdom, known as Triads. These old tales and myths were ripe with wisdom and have been preserved to this day, including through early Arthurian stories and famous Celtic tales. The famous myth around Merlin is thought to be an amalgamation of Druid practices, folklore, and Christian rumors about Druids into a single figure.

Druid Revival

This is the age we are in now, starting in the 18th century. Thankfully, with the advent of the internet, we're able to access many ancient texts that were unavailable to the masses before the Information Age. With the sturdy coursework of the OBOD organization, and the plethora of other Druid organizations pledged to maintain and spread this knowledge, we are lucky to be within a time period with freedom of choice in belief alongside such great access. It is now possible for anyone to become a Druid with meticulous study and practicum.

Next: Additional Reading