The Druids (History-Night Shift)

THE DRUIDS


The word druid is an anglicized and probably latinized form of the Gaulish "druvis." The word itself has been subject to intense speculation as to its origins, though most scholars associate it with the Greek "drus" meaning oak. An alternate, and perhaps better explanation is based on the Indo-European roots *deru, meaning "steadfast" or "strong," and *wid connected with knowledge, and wisdom, presented by Edred Thorsson, Ph.D. Hence, the original word may have been something like *deruwid, meaning "one of steadfast knowledge.

The Roman occupation of Britain lasted from 43AD to around 400. Before the Romans invaded, the druid priesthood was the undisputed power in the land. For the previous two or three centuries the druids had been a dominant force throughout what was then the Celtic world, which included France, the Netherlands and parts of Scandinavia as well as Britain.

History is written by the victors; that is why it is difficult to obtain a true account of the Druids. When the Romans conquered the Celts and Ancient Britons, they gave unflattering descriptions of the druids. Some sources describe the druids as bloodthirsty barbarians who were addicted to human sacrifice. Others maintain that they were gentle and peaceful, and that they derived their authority from being in touch with nature.

There are a few things we can say for certain.

Druids:

held ceremonies in oak groves
saw mistletoe as a sacred plant with healing powers
practised divination and believed they could foretell the future

Their powers of divination underpinned the druids' authority. Their supposed ability to foretell the future made the druids a vital source of information, equally able to advise the community on when to start the harvesting and the king on when to go to war. The druids brandished a power based on their superior insight into the workings of the universe.

Information about druid practices can also be gained from archaeological evidence. The Gundestrup Cauldron was preserved for 2000 years in a peat bog in Denmark. It was made of solid silver and strangely carved. The carvings on the cauldron suggest human sacrifice.

More gruesome - and mysterious - evidence is supplied by Tollund Man. The body of Tollund Man was found in 1950 in a Danish peat bog, where - like the Gundestrup Cauldron - it had been preserved since the 1st century BC. Tollund Man was about 40, and it was presumed that he had been killed.

Tollund Man was not the only victim. Other bog bodies have been found in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland - and Britain. In 1984, a 2000-year-old body was found in a peat bog in Cheshire: Lindow Man. This time the signs of human sacrifice were unmistakable. There were traces of mistletoe in his stomach suggesting a definite druidical connection.

The druids' political authority was severely limited under Roman rule. However, druidical practices and Roman religion seem to have coexisted. In particular, the druidical arts of divination appear to have survived into the Roman era: one Romano-British burial site in Colchester has been found to contain equipment for a divining ritual.

Knowledge of the Druids comes directly from classical writers of their time. Julius Caesar, made a description of their political and social organization and also of their beliefs.

Caesar describes them as one of the two classes of dignity, the other being the knights (which are of course the warriors of the Celts). The common folk, he says are less than nothing and "treated almost as slaves." (Caesar 335) He goes on to say that these Druids are "concerned with divine worship, due performance of sacrifices, public and private, and the interpretation of ritual questions: a great number of young men gather about them for the sake of instruction and hold them in great honor." (Caesar 335-337)

Next Caesar describes the Druid role in the Celtic justice system. Druids, as described by Caesar, settle all disputes ranging from property disputes to murder. Druids are also responsible for the punishment to be issued to the criminal. Druids from different tribes are respected with the same power as Druids from other tribes, allowing them to punish foreigners.

"Of all these Druids one is chief, who has the highest authority among them. At his death, either any other that is prominent in position succeeds, or if there be several of equal standing, they strive for the primacy by the vote of the Druids." (Caesar 337) This excerpt from Caesar's descriptions show that the Druids actually held a democracy. It is known that the Celts were in the north of Italy about 400 BC and that that they even lay siege to the Capitol of the Roman Empire. It is also interesting to note that Rome was founded as a Republic. Perhaps there could be a connection between the two through transliteration.