Druidry

[Creator]

What is a Druid and are the practices and beliefs of a modern Druid the same as of the "old time" Druids? As far as I know, the original Druids were from the British Isles, Ireland and a part of France. The descriptions of Druidry that have been made by some of the classical authors differ quite a bit, so does modern people actually have a clue what Druidry was about? I doubt it.

I think modern Druidism began to develop about three hundred years ago or so. Were the mounds, stone circles and standing stones that the "New" Druids became so interested in, actually a part of the old Druid culture? Or were they already there by the time the ancient Druids came about? It seems strange to me that todays modern Druids perform rituals etc at these old sites when no one could possibly know how, why and if the old time Druids actually did that at all.

I read somewhere that Freemasons became interested in this, and Revival Druidry joined together with Masonry through organizations like the Ancient Order of Druids. This order then combined ideas from Theosophical Society and the Order of the Golden Dawn and this got mixed with some old philosophic ideas of the past to eventually form modern Druidism. Is this true? I hope any of you might be able to explain some of this.

I can't help being a bit doubtful about modern Druidry having anything to do with the ancient Druidry, but I know very little of this and is there enough information around about the old time Druids to qualify as a model for the new era of Druidism? I have no idea. Do you?

[Thorn]

I'd recommend checking out the OBOD website, www.druidry.org, for a perspective on modern druidry.

There's very, very little reliable source material to reconstruct the ancient druidic religion, as opposed to say Greek or Egyptian reconstruction, but some do try. I think most druidic orders these days will admit that much of their practice is of modern origin.

Really the only thing I know for sure: if anyone approaches you with the book 21 Lessons of Merlyn, and seem to be taking it's claims seriously - run. Or mock them mercilessly, whichever.

[Summer]

I don't know near as much about druidry, modern day or ancient, as I would like to. So I won't be able to contribute much of anything to this conversation, but will be hoping that someone will come along that will be able to.

[pablo]

I whole heartedly agree with your perspectives on modern druidry. I have done some workings with these people and can attest to the mix of new age, GD plus a dab of shamanism, etc.

I tend to run a mile or mock anything that links to "Merrie Olde England"!

BB

Pablo

[Creator]

thorn said:

I'd recommend checking out the OBOD website, www.druidry.org, for a perspective on modern druidry.

Looking on the first page of that site was enough...

"As with most other streams of indigenous wisdom, the Druidic tradition has always been predominantly an oral tradition. Whether in a forest grove or sitting in front of a crackling hearth, the Druid tradition is a mouth-to-ear transmission of an ancient 'practical mysticism' that can guide and inspire us to live with the earth in harmony. With the OBOD Bardic Grade teachings on audio, students of Druidry - new and seasoned alike - now have the opportunity to work with the ways of the Druid tradition in a fresh, relevant, but also traditional manner. Imagine standing in an expansive forest, or even sitting in your private garden, with a CD player or an iPod, being guided deeply into a communion with the old Druid spirit, your spiritual senses awash with spoken-word teachings, practices, poetic meditations, and heart-stirring soundscapes. This is what awaits you."

Bollocks to that! If it's an oral tradition that has been passed on from druid to druid, then how the **** did it get passed on to THESE people over 2000 years after the druids existed?

[Creator]

I just had to add this crazy website: www.geocities.com/mikerdna/

Reformed Druids Of North America! Should I laugh or cry?

[Aquamarine]

The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is pretty good at showing that all these allegedly unbroken traditions are in fact 20th century revivals, including druidry, which disappeared with the Celts.

Which brings me to my question--where on the board do I go for stuff on the old Celtic gods, the Mabinogion, etc.? I love all that!

[Summer]

I think that you should start a thread about them, Aqua. We don't have one about them yet.

[Thorn]

Do we have any mythology threads yet? We certainly should...

I just started a couple in my own areas of interest. We can add Greek, Egyptian, etc. too if people want...

[Aquamarine]

Thanks, Thorn!

I think pretty much all mythology is fascinating, so would love to hear what everybody has to say. I even loved the basically-pretty-cheesy-but-gripping-read American Gods (Neil Gaiman) because of all the use he made of mythology in the New World.

[Thorn]

Neil Gaiman is my soul mate. No. Really. You can have more than one soul mate, right?

Seriously, I LOVE Neil!!!!

Good Omens: Gaiman + Pratchett = Pagan/mythology-geek heaven. (It deals with Christian mythology and the whole Anti-Christ thing. Best. Book. Ever.)

(OK, maybe I exaggerated that last part, but you get my meaning... ;D )

[Aquamarine]

Did you like Anansi Boys? I was once quoted in an article about it, and to my friend who is also a Gaiman soul-mate (you must know her!), that gave me cool points until death. And beyond. ;D (I do like him and Pratchett, I must admit.)

[Summer]

Wouldn't you think that some of the Druidic families would have kept the Druid's way of life alive by passing it down through the centuries from one generation to the other? Couldn't there be modern day Druids?

[Aquamarine]

debbie said:

Wouldn't you think that some of the Druidic families would have kept the Druid's way of life alive by passing it down through the centuries from one generation to the other? Couldn't there be modern day Druids?

There could be, certainly, but everything I've read suggests there isn't an unbroken connection from the original druids, and modern-day practices are revivals. Of course there's no real proof one way or the other. For instance Markale says that "the caste of druids survived at least until the reign of Domnall hUa Neill, who died in 978" and that they then became absorbed into the caste of filid, or bardic poets--also that resistance against the Roman invasion was run by druids from the Isle of Anglesey, where their sanctuary was eventually destroyed. But that doesn't prove there weren't some who were able to transmit their beliefs etc. Though it does seem a long shot.

[Thorn]

None of the modern druids that I know of claim such a lineage. (Ususally it's been wiccans claiming that sort of thing, and all that's pretty much been proven to be BS.)

It also seems a very long shot that the tradition, passed on by word of mouth for a millenium, would still resemble the original at all. Even assuming the mental disciplines were passed on at all, it's still been 1000 years.

Also, I don't know if "Druidic families" existed. There are some sources that claim the druids were celibate. Whether this was a Xian projection or not, I don't know.