Druids In History Druids were among the four Philosophers of the Ancients, according to Diogenes Laertius. Diogenes was a Greek philosopher himself and didnt even consider the Greeks and Romans to be amongst those he considered as the foremost minds of his era. The Persian Magi, The Celtic Druids, The Indian Brahmins, and the Babylonian Priests were the four principal teachers and people of learning in the Middle East, Southern & Northern Europe and Northern Africa. Diogenes Laertius even went so far as to say that Plato himself had been taught by a Druid named 'Abaris', which is likely a pseudonym. Celts felt that if you knew a persons real name you had power and influence over them. That is why most of their names mean something and is not really their given birth name. Druids memorized vast tracts of knowledge and were able to recite it verbatim. The actual learning process was considered to be twenty years dedicated schooling, spent six months on with the Druid teachers and six months back helping one of the many tribes. Druids that didn't make it became one of many higher persons of learning throughout the Celtic area. Bards trained for 10-12 years, and Seers trained for 8-10 years. These were the other branches of Druidry, but there are many who believe that the Druids that didnt finish or didnt want to leave the tribe forever later became what we now know as Witches. That is still only a possibility, but there is growing evidence that this may be the case. Witches were known throughout the Celtic area at the time, but were not the "Harm None, Do As You Will" types we are accustomed to now. Setanta, otherwise known as Cu Chulainn (one of the greatest Celtic heroes of all time) was trained by the greatest Witch of all time Scathach (Ska-Ha - 'The Shadow'), who was a martial arts sensei who had the island of Skye named after her and her daughter, the wife of Cu Chulainn. During their reign, the Druids seemed to be everywhere at once. Advising, teaching, healing, making and upholding laws, and giving speeches. In general trying to be what the people they were responsible needed most, someone to lead them a little further out of the darkness and into the light of a new world. Although the last Druids disappeared voluntarily about the 5th century BC or so, their legacy lived on into our present age. The Filidh (decendencts of the Druids) and Bards kept the tradition alive in every way possible and the Cymryc movement as well. There are many reports of Druids even up to nearly modern times. Some have their family history recording that their great-great-great Grandfather was a Druid or a Bard. In the British Isles, Filidh's were still allowed to make judiciary decisions up until the 17th century and in fact they are still listed upon some documents that are in use from those times to this day. Until the 14th century, Irish doctors were considered to be the foremost experts in medicine, healing and surgery. IRish Docotrs were given vast tracts of knowledge to memorize but among them were certain poems and verses that seemingly made no sense. They were some of the Irish mythos and songs from a thousand years ago. This is because a few of the Druidic Colleges survived both the Romans and Christian invasions. Primarily because the Filidhs defected and began following Saint Patrick and the Gospel he was preaching. Maybe they broke away from the rest of the Druids on purpose, it is because of them that the Druids began to disappear. But it is also because of them that we know so much about the Druids to this day. found on the pagan path |
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