Priests Druids example essay topic

DRUIDS Who were the Druids? The stereotypical image of a Druid is one of a thoughtful philosopher and magician, schooled in the lore of the traditions, and in charge of the education of the chieftains as well as those who sought to obtain knowledge considered obscure by the rest of society. They were knower's of truth, able to manipulate that truth as well as inform others of it. Druids not only influenced society religiously, they also influenced it socially i.e. they took on the parts of teachers, judges, magicians, craftsmen, advisors, priests, and masters of ceremonies, and in doing so, were greatly respected in society. The Role of DruidsTeachersCaesar remarked that Druidism originated in Britain and that students would travel there for instruction, information and advice on astronomy, the 'essential nature of things', and the power and authority of the Gods- both local and pan-Celtic deities.

Their religion forbade them to write down what was being taught, as stated by Aphelia Nihtscada: Druids of the past sought to preserve knowledge through passing their traditions to their students. Unfortunately, they did not feel it prudent to write any of this knowledge down lest the knowledge fall into the wrong hands or lose power, leaving us having to piece together what little we do know from other writers through the ages. Because Nihtscada is a woman born with Celtic roots, and was initiated into the Druidic tradition herself, this modern source is quite reliable. She is also a public speaker with a deep interest in her Celtic heritage. Her aim therefore, was to provide readers with accurate information about the Celts, much of which corresponds with information provided by the Romans. Instead of writing, information was communicated and learnt through verse.

In fact, there were so many verses that the druids spent about 20 years studying them, learning about oral literature of sacred songs, prayers, incantations, divination and magic. Despite this however, not one verse has survived, nor are there any pure Druidic legends as all of them have been subjected to Christian or Roman interpretation. Master of Ceremonies Druids, as masters of ceremonies, are renowned for administering animal, and sometimes even human sacrifices, as told by the Romans. Pliny the Elder describes one Druidic ceremony in his Naturalis Historia (XVI, 95):' Anything growing on those trees [oaks] they regard as sent from heaven and a sign that this tree has been chosen by the gods themselves. Mistletoe is, however, very rarely found, and when found, it is gathered with great ceremony and especially on the sixth day of the moon...

They prepare a ritual sacrifice and feast under the tree, and lead up two white bulls whose horns are bound for the first time on this occasion. A priest attired in a white vestment ascends the tree and with a golden pruning hook cuts the mistletoe which is caught in a white cloth. Then next they sacrifice the bulls praying that the gods will make their gifts propitious to those to whom they have given it. They believe that if given in drink the mistletoe will give fecundity to any barren animal, and that it is predominant against all poisons. ' Pliny the Elder was a Roman scholar and as a result, may have been prejudiced against Celts, however not to the extent of Julius Caesar. Because this extract was from Natural History, a writing which was produced after extensive study, this source is probably quite reliable as the aim was to provide accurate information to the readers.

Pliny also lived from AD 23-AD 79, a time in which the Celts also existed, increasing the reliability of this source. Skilled Craftsmen Druids had knowledge of bronze, iron, and other metals, which was passed on to the Celtic people. Celtic coins often featured pictures of horses, boars and ears of wheat. Many other Celtic artefacts found in graves or bogs also feature natural motifs of animals, people, nature and Gods. Techniques such as beating metal and the use of casts and well as geometric shapes were used by Celtic craftsmen for the manufacture of objects, especially those which were to be grave goods or votive offerings. Judges The Druids constituted the educated priestly class, and were guardians of the unwritten ancient law.

They also had the power of executing judgment, the harshest punishment being excommunication from society. The druids met every year to decide legal disputes and try petty offenders. This was known as the Samhain festival held on the first of November. Superstitious activities such as burning a sacred fire would occur at this time to help give verdicts. It was also the time when the barrier between our world and the 'Otherworld' was at their most penetrable.

This day is now known as Halloween. Leaders The efforts of the Druids preserved common culture, religion, history, laws, scholarship, and science. They had authority over every tribal chief and since they had a somewhat sacred status, they could move about settling disputes and stopping battles by compelling the rival parties to arbitration. The druids often appear as advisors and physicians to the kings in the Irish legends, but never as leaders themselves. Priests Druids do not appear as religious leaders but officiated at religious ceremonies and were consulted on all aspects of the worship of the gods. They believed that the soul was immortal and that it would reincarnate to another body e.g. plant, animal, human, after being transported to the 'Otherworld' by the god Bile (Bel, Belen us).

The soul would then move on to a higher realm which had its own 'Otherworld' until it finally reached the 'Source'. It was believed that everything was created from this realm and that every birth meant the death of a person in another world. This became the belief of the whole Celtic empire and when a birth occurred, the Celt would mourn the death of a person in the 'Otherworld'. Caesar came to the conclusion that it was due to these beliefs that the Celts were so fearless in battle. Magicians As workers of magic, Druids influenced battles, war, and politics. The following description of the band of Cath bus Druids occurs in the epic tale, the Tain bo Cuailnge (The Cattle-Raid of Cooley): The attendant raises his eyes towards heaven and observes the clouds and answers the band around him.

They (the Druids) all raise their eyes towards heaven, observe the clouds, and hurl spells against the elements, so that they arouse strife amongst them and clouds of fire are driven towards the camp of the men of Ireland. Although this is one of the most legendary Irish epics in existence today, this tale, like Homer's Iliad is not entirely reliable. This is due to the fact that it was passed down orally and probably has been subjected to many interpretations. We are further told that at the court of Conchobar no one had the right to speak before the Druids had spoken. In other texts the Druids are also able to produce insanity. Their effect on Celtic Society Food Farming Druids in their role as judges ensured that everyone's rights and obligations were carefully defined.

With an independent arbitrator, petty disputes were solved and much of the tribal land was worked for all classes of society with shared grazing and foraging rights. The rest however, was apportioned as family farms. Weapons Through the centuries, the Druids carried and passed down their knowledge of metal work, while their freedom of travel ensured that this knowledge was spread to all tribes. From the Rhineland (the centre of iron production), emerged skilled craftsmen who made the twisted gold neck rings (t orcs), as well as the numerous other objects found in the graves of their chieftains. These skills also included the production of good quality weapons made from iron, which in turn gave the Celts an advantage in battle, therefore contributing to the expansion of the Celtic empire. The typical Celtic warrior would carry a long body shield as well as two spears and an iron sword with a short thick blade and sharp point.

Decorative facings such as that of the Battersea shield-found in the Thames River and therefore most likely a votive offering, indicated highly sophisticated crafting techniques. Population During the late Bronze Age, from 1200 BC until 700 BC, a dramatic increase in the Celtic population in the region occurred, probably due to innovations in technology and agricultural practices. This can be attributed to the Druids in their role as teachers and messengers, carrying their knowledge of weather, climate cycles, metal working, healing and medicine. Religion The Celts believed in the reincarnation of the soul as well as pan-Celtic and local deities. These gods and goddesses would often have authority over one to three things e.g. - Brighid: a triple Goddess of Fire, Poetry, and the Forge- Lugh Lamp-fad a: Son of the Sun, light and fire and 'Master of Crafts'- Cernunnos: The Horned God, God of Nature, God of the Underworld and the Astral Plane Several festivals would also be celebrated in Celtic society.

These included 4 fire festivals which were celebrated once every 3 months. - Samhain or Samhuinn-This was held on the first of November and marked the Celtic new years day as well as the Feast of the Dead. - Imb olc (or Brighid) -This festival was celebrated on February the first and marked The Return of Light. - Beltane (or Bealteinne) -May 1 was the celebration of The Fires of Bel.

This day was the 'peak of blossom season' or spring and is still celebrated today as May Day. - Lughnasad (or Lughnasadh, Lammas) -August 1 was The Feast of Lugh. Named after the God of Light, this was time for celebration of the harvest. According to Oxford professor Peter Beresford Ellis however, these beliefs slowly vanished with the arrival of other religions e.g. Christianity: With the arrival of Christianity, the Druids began to merge totally with the new culture, some even becoming priests of the new religion and continuing as an intellectual class in much the same way as their forefathers had done for over a thousand years previously. As a university professor who has written a book on Druids, this information is probably quite accurate. The author's own interpretations and opinions however, need to be taken into account.

Julius Caesar Julius Caesar's writings are a main source of information modern historians have on Celtic society. Julius Caesar however, was most probably prejudiced against the Celts because of their continual warfare with the Romans. In war, the enemy is routinely demonized and as a result, Caesar's writings and indeed all information provided by the Romans, need to be treated carefully, taking into consideration the prejudice they would have held. Conclusion The Druids played a significant role in Celtic society, not only providing the religious element, but also playing the social roles of craftsmen, magicians, judges, advisors, masters of ceremonies and teachers. They influenced many aspects of Celtic culture because they provided the society's main beliefs which in turn determined the Celtic lifestyle.

Bibliography

The Early History of Rome (Books I-V), Titus Livy, Penguin Library of History (Books XVI. 66-XVII), Diodorus Siculus, Loeb Classical Library- The Gallic War, Julius Caesar, Loeb Classical Library- Natural History, Pliny the Elder, Oxford University Press- The Tain Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge, Oxford Paperbacks'o Tuathail, Se " an. The Excellence of the Ancient Word. Available via internet at: ftp: //bronze. coil. com / pub //lore / eat. cn l Geography, Strabo, Loeb Classical Library- web web web web overview. html- web 'Story of Druids", Microsoft (R) Encarta (R) Encyclopedia 2001.
c) 1993-2000 Microsoft Corporation.