Sunday, March 22, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

An Introductory FAQ — alt.religion.druid

✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦

by Elaine Stutt

The alt.religion.druid newsgroup formed in Fall 1995, hiving off from alt.pagan and alt.religion.wicca as Celtic and Druidic interest grew large enough to need its own forum. For eight years before this FAQ was written, the group had served as a meeting place for traditional Druids, Neo-Pagan Druids, historical reconstructionists, Celtic Wiccans, and academics — a community of remarkable breadth and frequent vigorous disagreement. Elaine Stutt, who had followed the group almost since its beginning, wrote this FAQ not as doctrine but as a map of the territory: twenty-one questions describing what the group debated, who its members were, and what they believed — or disagreed about believing. Written with scholarly care and quiet wit, it remains one of the best introductions to the range of modern Druidry available anywhere.

Cross-posted to soc.religion.paganism, November 2003.

This is an introductory FAQ for alt.religion.druid.

A.r.d hived off of alt.pagan, alt.religion.wicca, etc. in the Fall of 1995. It is for discussion about: Druids; Druidry/Druidism; Celtic cultures, history, religion and spirituality. Note that some, who are interested in Brehon Law and Druids as leaders of Celtic society, are only faintly interested in Celtic spirituality; for others it's just the opposite.

I'm Elaine and I've followed a.r.d almost since it's inception. Because I wrote this FAQ, it necessarily reflects my interests and biases. However, my aim was neither to give my opinions, nor to give academic definitions but rather to show the range of knowledge and opinion on a.r.d. Thanks to all those who post on a.r.d for their information, opinions and websites. The FAQ consists of twenty one questions.

1. Where can I find information ? Websites, Newsgroups, Books

Websites for Druidic and Celtic Pagan Organizations: checked Nov/12/2003 Some of the following have: FAQs(*), listservs, correspondance courses

*Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids - OBOD
Ar nDraoicht Fein - ADF Celtic and Indo-European
Keltria - Druidic Arts and Celtic Magick
Imbas, Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan
index.htm British Druid Order - BDO
index.html Reformed Druids of North America
cathbad Druidism Guide
( This was the Druidism FAQ, but hasn't been posted for years.)
Cyber Community - Celtic Pagan
www.stonecreed.org ADF group, Ohio
Nemeton and White Oak
moot.html An Fainne, Pagan group in Ireland
Contents.html I. Bonewits, History of Druids

Websites with more of a Celtic cultural emphasis:

www.digitalmedievalist.com *Celtic Studies Resources, reading lists
dandalf.com many Celtic links
Ogam stones and interpretations
celt U of Cork, Irish texts incl. trans.
map.htm Map, where Celtic tribes were
*Craig Cockburn s.c.celtic, s.c.scottish
~kthomas old Irish culture, Eolas na hEireann
www.isle-of-man.com Isle of Man links
breizhoo.fr Breton links (en francais)
*soc.culture.welsh FAQ links
www.thisiscornwall.co.uk Cornish links
Wales.html Welsh links
Gaelic language links
The Celtic league aims to be a link
between the modern Celtic nations of: Alba, Breizh, Cymru,
Eire, Kernow and Mannin. It puts out a magazine Carn, which
has articles in all six of the languages.

I have another page of websites which I can send if requested

Possibly related newsgroups, your interest may vary:

soc.culture.celtic, s.c.irish, s.c.scottish, s.c.welsh, s.c.breton alt.spirituality.druid, alt.religion.asatru ( Norse, Germanic ) alt.religion.wicca, alt.pagan ( huge ), alt.magick, alt.mythology soc.religion.paganism ( moderated to avoid spam ) rec.music.celtic

Books: chosen from recommendations by posters

"The Celtic World" Miranda J. Green ISBN 0-415-05764-7
"The Ancient Celts" Barry Cunliffe ISBN 0-19-815010-5
"Celtic Heritage" Alwyn & Brinley Rees ISBN 0-500-27039-2
"The Celts" T.G.E. Powell ISBN 0500272781
"Pagan Celtic Britain" Anne Ross ISBN 0897334353
"Pagan Celtic Ireland" Barry Raftery ISBN 0-500-27983-7�
"The Celts" Nora Chadwick out of print ?

"The Druids" Peter B. Ellis ISBN 0-8028-3798-0
"The Druids" Stuart Piggot ISBN 0-500-27363-4

"Ancient Irish Tales" Cross and Slover ISBN 0389202541
"Early Irish Myths and Sagas" J. Gantz ISBN 01400443975
"Celtic Myths and Legends" T.W. Rolleston ISBN 0-486-26507-2
"The Tain" trans. by T. Kinsella ISBN 0192810901
"The Mabinogi" trans. by P.K. Ford ISBN 050034147
"Celtic Mythology" Proinsias MacCana ISBN 0872262421

"The Druid Way" Philip Carr-Gomm ISBN 1-85230-365-4
"Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom" C + J Matthews ISBN 1852307862
"Druid Priestess" Emma Restall Orr ISBN 0007107692

2. Who are were the Celts ?

This is a hot topic and there are many definitions.

  • A culture and people defined by the archeological remains of two cultures now in Austria and Switzerland: Halstatt ( 800BC to 250BC ) and La Tene ( +/- 430BC to 1AD ). The Celts, whose language group belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, eventually occupied lands from Turkey to Spain to the British Isles. Names of a few of the tribes were: Arverni, Treveri, Helvetii, Venetes, Silures, Caledonii. Most were conquered by the Romans by 200AD. Remnant peoples in Ireland, Scotland and Wales converted/were converted to Christianity by +/- 700AD. ( N.B. This definition excludes the pre-Celtic Neolithic peoples, who built stone monuments, such as StoneHenge and New Grange. )

  • The peoples living in the modern Celtic "nations" of: Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, Mann, Scotland and Wales. While united in pre-history, they have differances in language, history and culture. ( N.B. The Welsh and Scots get really annoyed if you equate "Celtic" solely with "Irish". ) - Anyone, living or dead, in an area, ever occupied by the Ancient Celts.

  • Anyone, anywhere with a drop of Celtic blood in their ancestry.

So, roughly, the definitions run from: "The Celts as a people were extinct by 400AD and that's that!" to: "Anyone can be a Celt, if they really feel it!"

3. How do you say ... in Celtic ?

Dumb question, unfortunately, because there is no one Celtic language. Ask rather about: Breton ( Brezhoneg ), Cornish ( Kernowek ), Irish ( Gaeilge ), Scots Gaelic* ( Gaidhlig ), Manx Gaelic ( Gaelg ), or Welsh ( Cymraeg ). You might also post such a request to one of the related soc.culture groups. There have been occasional naughty mis-translations.

The modern Celtic languages are in two groups: Q-Celtic, Goidelic - Irish, Scottish and Manx Gaelic - derived from Old Irish P-Celtic, Brythonic - Breton, Cornish and Welsh - derived from Old Welsh * Note: Don't confuse with "Scots" a germanic language related to English.

4. Who were the Druids ? Now, who are Druids? Are there different Types?

They were religious and social leaders of the continental Celts, e.g. the Gauls, as described by the Greeks and Romans. The Romans later used the same term for leaders of the Britons. It's not certain if all Celtic cultures used a word similar to "druid" or if their social structures were the same. General attributes assigned to Druids: they passed their teachings along orally, not by writings; becoming a Druid required a long period of study; they were excused from military service but could enter battle if they chose; they were members of an elite class which included various occupations.

Today the term is used variously, with some opinion that it shouldn't be used at all because the ancient Celts no longer exist. Currently people using the term "Druid" can be: - Members of a modern Druid organization, some of whom will only call themselves Druids after a period of study. - Self-recognized "traditional" Druids, who claim to have received the knowledge in a family descended from Druids but who won't describe their beliefs much as they must be taught face to face. - Celtic Wiccans - Someone, who is interested in Druids - Role playing gamers or some historical recreationists ( generally, on a.r.d., the last three would not be approved usages )

It is a little hard to categorize the Druid organizations as they tend to overlap in interests and attitude. They were all founded fairly recently, although some were founded by members of previous Druid organizations. They have been influenced by similar cultural threads. Even nationalist influences have been reduced by migration and the Internet. The following are some broad categories, maybe stereotypes, of types found in Druid groups. When things are going well, their members discuss their common interests politely on a.r.d.

Traditional or organized Traditional - These derive from folk history in the British Isles and from the Celtic Renaissance/Revival of the eighteenth and ninetenth centuries. They consider that they come from an unbroken line. The European ones have the benefit of living near modern Celtic communities and/or historical Celtic and Neolithic sites. Others complain that their traditions are the result of nineteenth century invention and occultism, that they are more a Christian offshoot than descendants of the Druids. Celtic historicists accuse them of being fluffy bunnies.

Neo-Pagan Druids - This group concedes that they're not sure what the Ancient Druids did but they want to create/recreate a modern version. They study the ancient Celts and Neo-lithic peoples throughout Europe and also modern interests such as psychology and comparative religion. They are seriously trying to establish a religion. Some others, especially British Traditionalists, accuse them of being fluffy bunnies.

Historically Accurate Druids - They limit their research to Celts only. If, there's no text or no archaeological site to back up an idea, they won't consider it. They may be disdainful of modern society and want to recreate something better. Some seem to express little spirituality or sense of humor. They would eat fluffy bunnies, if properly roasted on a historically accurate Celtic hearth, but, fear it might give them indigestion.

Eclectic verging on New-Age - They trip through dewey pastures seeking influences from the world round. Choices of ritual or myth are made on an intuitive basis: does it feel right, not, is it related to reality. Some are making serious attemps. Others would be if they could just find the right necklace to match their cape. Some are out and out fluffy bunnies and are loving every minute.

Political Druids - May know a fair amount about ancient Druids and Celts but think a contemporary Druids emphasis should be on current affairs. If you don't protest and comment at length about issues, such as the war in Iraq, they will consider you to be an irrelevant fluffy bunny. A possible sub-group are the ones who belabor any discussion of Celtic history and culture as being "bookish". Things must be up-to-date, learned face-to-face, in the flesh. An opinion which makes their presence on a text-based newsgroup somewhat curious.

5. How can you be interested in Druids when they sacrificed humans !!?

The Romans sacrificed prisoners of war to their Gods but nobody expects to see human sacrifice in Rome today. This question seems to fascinate. Did Ancient Celts practice human sacrifice ? The answer is: yes and no.

Some seem to be certain that the answer is a firm "no" and, moreover, that Druids were non-violent. Given the references to fighting prowess by the Romans and Greeks and all the warrior imagery in the old Irish texts, this seems unlikely to me. The existance of spectacular Wicker Man type sacrifices also seems unlikely, given the only source is Roman military texts.

The Greeks and Romans had practiced human sacrifice sometimes during their histories so it wouldn't be all that surprising if the Celts also did. >From what I've read, the Celts took body parts as trophys during war and they most likely executed prisoners of war and criminals. However, we don't know if these acts had religious connotations for them, because Druids of that era didn't believe in writing down their beliefs and practices. Some are sure that the strangled "Bog Men" prove at least small scale human sacrifice. But reading the difference between "execution" and "sacrifice" in archaeological remains is difficult. If the topic interests you, read up on it yourself.

6. Isn't the "Twenty One Lessons of Merlyn" marvelous !

A flamebait question, if ever there was one. Approach carefully. I've never read the 21LoM. It is, evidently, a work of fiction, that some admire but which contains a lot of misinformation. Those charitable toward it, say that it's a pleasant work of storytelling that inspired them at the time, even if they now realize that a lot of the details are wrong, sometimes laughably so.

Those, who think it's harmful because it spreads lies about Celtic culture, loathe it so much that they practically foam at the mouth. Some webpages contain files devoted to pointing out a few errors. See: 21Lessons.htm pheryllt.html whenIsACeltNotACelt.htm

7. Why is Druid group #### so inauthentic ?

Yeah, well, they probably think you're inauthentic so be polite ! ( Or, in my case, try to be polite. I do try. )

8. Were there women Druids ?

No. Yes, of course! Yes. Well, maybe a few exceptional ones but...

A very, small minority of those posting to a.r.d. think that leading Celtic religion is sex linked. Some think that Druids were men and somewhat military, that the healing was done by women who were witches. This idea is more common among some Celtic Wiccans.

Many think that not only did the Ancient Druids have women Druids but they had an egalitarian society.

Others, more historically inclined, will point out that whereas the Celts allowed their woman more freedom than the other cultures of the era, it was hardly equality as we know it. But there certainly were women druids then and there certainly are now, two thousand years later.

Well...say some others, the position of women leaders is not adequately defined in the Roman texts. There were women military leaders, such as Boudicca, but do we know that they were fully accepted as druids ? They can't have been common. etc. etc.

9. How do you become a Druid ?

There is no one authority on Druids so no-one agrees. You can simply declare yourself a druid. Not everyone will agree with you but it's been done before.

The ancient Druids had to study a long time - twelve, twenty years and were the leaders of their people. Not every Celt was considered a Druid. Those following this model, think you have to study a long time and be acknowledged by other Druids, before you call yourself a Druid. You'd have to study Celtic history, culture, language and spirituality and maybe demonstrate a special gift such as insight or leadership skills. Some of those, who follow this model, only believe in teaching face to face so, if you ask on a.r.d about becoming a druid, you may get silence or cryptic answers.

Several of the Druid groups have descriptions of the qualifications for Druids, some offer lessons or correspondance courses. You can do the course and, in some cases, be considered a Druid by that group. It may be a simple reading list, others evidently require that you mail in essays etc. I think OBOD's course ends up requiring three to six years of study.

Many figure that if they are interested in the practice of Druidism/Druidry then they are Druids. The assumption is that anyone interested in "Celtic religion" or "Nature religon" is automatically a Druid. Some add qualifiers such as: neo-pagan, neo-, solitary, ecclectic, true, nature, etc. Others name themselves Druids but only do so after some consideration and study.

10. Why isn't there more talk around here about actual Druid practices ?

One reason, is that newsgroups are entirely public. Someone may not mind their boss knowing about their interest in Druids and history but might fear getting fired for being religious "wierdos" if any practices were mentioned.

Another reason is that some may think rituals should be secret and therefore do not belong on newsgroups.

List-servs, mailing lists and websites may be better places for that sort of topic. On the other hand, there have been good threads on what people do and believe. The best way to get talk going on a topic, is to post on it yourself. This usually works better than a simple question.

11. Isn't Wicca Celtic ?

Check on a Wiccan site for a definition of Wicca. Generally, around here, Wicca is considered to be a modern, neo-pagan religion, with myths and practices derived from many sources. Some of those sources are Celtic but it's usually quite in the minority. Celtic Wiccans try to stick to Celtic sources but still, their core beliefs are handed down from Gerald Gardner and he wasn't trying to be Celtic. Many Celtic Wiccans are excellant scholars but not all are. A lot of things reputed to be Celtic are not.

12. Are Druids polytheists or pantheists ? Monotheists ?

The ancient Celts seem to have been polytheists. There are many gods and goddesses identified with the Celts. After the Gauls, Belgae and Britons were conquered by the Romans, there were hybrid forms. Or, at least, there were inscriptions pairing the names of a Roman god and a Celtic god. When the Irish adapted Christianity, the idea of a monotheist father god plus son and saints, seems to have fit into a Druid framework fairly easily, at least initially.

There have been on a.r.d.: polytheists, dualists, monotheists, pantheists and nature worshippers. Also the type of belief varies e.g.: are the gods real or are they metaphors?; is faith authoritative or individual?, etc. This can be a very sensitive subject. Agnostic types and true believer types can hurt each other's feelings without even meaning to.

13. Is Nature important to Druids ?

  • It's everything to Druids. - Of course, it was important to Druids, they lived in the forest but let's discuss something more interesting.

While people in many parts of the third world are intimately dependant on nature for their survival, few of us are. The Celts had to read the seasons so they could plant their crops; had to know where to find wild plants if the crops failed; had to know birds and their habits for divination; had to know which tree produced good wood for spears or yokes or buckets; had to know the habits of animals for hunting and fishing; had to know the earth so they could find ores for their tools and weapons and jewelery.

Some figure, that the modern Druid should know a lot about nature and spend time in the Wild, that nature ( or Nature ) is the true focus of Druidism. Some figure that a well educated adult, knows a fair amount of science but that most people now live in cities so the focus of Druidic studies and discussion should be history and ethics.

Some worship Nature. Some romanticize Nature. Some live in nature. Some mine it as a source for symbols. Some abstract it and assign it a place in their philosophy.

Nature definitely pops up in discussion.

14. Didn't the Romans kill all the Druids?

How can there be real Druids today when the Christians killed them all?

The Romans conquered, and in some cases colonised, Celtic peoples over a period of several hundred years. Some areas, Ireland and most of Scotland, were never entered by Roman armies. Other areas, like Wales and some of the areas now in Germany, were nominally conquered but never consolidated or ruled on a day to day basis. As was common in warfare of the day, the Romans sometimes killed large numbers of the people they conquered: Druids and commoners; men, women and children. It served as a warning to neighbouring tribes not to resist Roman might.

There is frequent reference, by some, to a Roman text by Tacitus about a battle in Anglesey, Wales. The idea is that Anglesey was a headquarters of Druids, that many Druids were killed, so that this put an end to the power of the Druids. Countering this are those who say: that Tacitus is misquoted; Anglesey didn't seem important and that there were Druids mentioned in Roman texts after this time. Also, other than treaties and trade, there's no evidence for the Celts having many inter-tribal structures, except perhaps in Gaul under Roman rule. So it is very unlikely that Druids in Ireland, Scotland, etc. would have stopped existing due to Roman activities in other countries.

Around the time Romans were conquering Britain, they were also persecuting Roman Christians. The Roman empire didn't become Christian until the time of Constantine, which was after most of the wars against the Celts. Roman pagans conquered Celtic pagans. But being polytheists, discovering new local dieties didn't bother the Romans. There are many examples of statues of dieties with both Roman and Celtic inscriptions. It seems that the Romans didn't object to conquered peoples continuing their own religions, as long as they didn't cause trouble and put up a statue of the Emperor, who had come to be considered divine. The Christians, being monotheists, refused to worship the Emperor and so were persecuted.

Incidently, the Irish pagans converted quite peacefully to Christianity beginning in the fourth century. There were no wars. Initially, however it was quite a hybrid form where Druids seemed to have retained some power. It has been arued that, in some eras, Christianity was strongly influenced by Celtic thought.

15. What are Meso-Druids?

In the 1800's, 1900's there were fraternal organisations called Druids. These organisations were modelled on the Masons, some of the first of these "Druids" were also Masons. They were a response to the Celtic Revival; Celtic things were cool and a little naughty. In their own mythology, they did have a link to Druids of old but this is hard to see. They remained Christian in thought and considered Druidry a philosophy. Whereas there were probably some esoteric rituals and thoughts on spirituality or philosophy, they knew little about ancient Druids or Celtic culture. Much of their Celtica was invented not researched. However, this often fanciful interest in Druids did encourage legitimate study of the Celts, a field that had been neglected in favour of the Romans. Years later OBOD was founded by some former Meso-Druids and it now has a more neo-pagan and Celtic outlook. for more see: MesoDruids.html

16. Are there any surviving ancient texts that refer to the Celts?

Yes and no.

Yes, there are Roman, Irish and Welsh texts that are very important because they give us important details about the life and hisory of the Celts and enable us to interpret and date archaeological findings. Even some of the early Breton and Irish manuscripts on the lives of the Saints, such as the Life of Colmcille, contain observations of Celtic society, although some would dismiss all Christian texts as contaminated.

No, because, other than some Roman, Gaulish and Irish stone carvings, no original texts survive. What we have are copies, partial copies and quotes. The copiers were Christian monks. Some assume that the monks cleaned up and Christianized the texts. This did happen with some texts. Others say, well..the monks were pretty conservative about texts, they usually just copied them. Even when the Vatican burned books, it often preserved one copy.

Roman Texts - These were written over about eight hundred years by people who conquered and colonised the Celts. They were enemies of the Celts and some of the texts might be considered military propaganda. On the other hand, some Celtic tribes were allies and comrades-in-arms with the Romans. The Celtic lands became part of the empire and some Celts were Roman citizens. If many of the writers were never personally in Celtic lands, others were careful observers, according to the standards of the era. Some later rulers and authors were Celts.

This is just an arbitary top ten list of Roman authors. For a longer list with verses sited see "The Ancient Celts", Cunliffe p288. Given the multicultural nature of the empire, some authors (*) were Greek or wrote in Greek.

Polybius* c204-122BC; Poseidonius c135-50BC not Roman, known through frequently uncredited quotes by later authors; Julius Caesar 100-44BC a military leader and dictator, traveled in Celtic lands including southern Britain; Strabo* c64BC-AD21; Livy 59BC-AD17; Lucan AD39-65 wrote a poem which includes a lurid description of Druid sacrificial grove; Pliny AD23-79; Tacitus cAD55-120 mentions the battle with the Druids at Anglesey; Dio Cassius AD155-230+ describes Boudicca; Ammianus Marcellinus cAD330-395 describes Gaulish women fighting.

Irish Texts - The earliest extant Irish texts have Christian content; the bible, the lives of saints. Many of the Pagan works appear as copies in later collections. The earliest texts are identified by analysing the age and style of the Irish (Gaeilge) and Latin writing. It is felt that some of the Pagan texts are reproductions of orally transmitted poems. Some seem to match the age of the earliest Christian works, ie. about AD700. Some could well be much older as interior dates link some to 1st and 4thC AD/CE. The texts, as copies, partial copies or quotes are contained in collections or source books, written in both Latin and Irish. The source books tend to contain a mixture of items. A poem or description of daily life may be found in a book containing mostly grammar or law. Collections before the 17th C tend to be more trustworthy as until that time the filid, descendants of Druids in Ireland, still retained some power. This is a small selection. First some of the source books, the first three are quite important: Book of the Dun Cow (Lebor na hUide), 12th C ; Book of Leinster (Lebor Laighneach), before 1160; Yellow Book of Lecan, late 14th C; Book of Ballymote; Book of Lismore; Book of Armagh; Annals of Ulster; Annals of Inisfallen; Annals of the Four Masters (An. Rioghachta Eireann), 1632-6.

This first group of texts is mostly law, geography, grammar, etc.: Dindshenchas (History of Places); Coir Anmann (Fitness of Names); Leabhar na gCeart(Book of Rights), Brehon law; Senchas Mor, Brehon law; Coire Goriath (Cauldron of Poesy); Auraicept na nEces, grammar; Sanas Chormaic (Cormac's Glossary ); Crich Gablach, laws

This group consists of heroic tales, myths, sacred stories, some of which may have a historical basis and some are pre-Christian contact: Audacht Morainn(Morann's Will); Cath Maige Tuired(Second Battle of Moytura); Tain Bo Cualnge(Cattle Raid of Cooley); Aislinge Oengus(Dream of Angus); Longas mac n-Usnig(Fate of the Children of Uisneach); Fled Bricrenn(Bricriu's Feast); Scela Mucce Maic DaTho(The Story of Mac DaTho's Pig); Lebor Gabala(Book of Invasions); Togail Bruidne Da Derga (Destruction of Da-Derga's Hostel); Orgain Denna Rig(Destruction of Dind Rig); Tochmarc Etaine(Wooing of Etain); Tororuigheacht Dhiarmadha agus Ghrainne(Pursuit of Dermot and Grainia); Accallam na Senorach (Colloquy of Old Men); Buile Suibhne(Intoxification of Sweeney); Imrams eg. Voyage of Bran

Welsh texts - These are generally later than the Irish texts. They also are found as copies in larger books. There is, maybe, a greater problem with later works mixed wtih earlier ones, for instance, many of the poems of Taliessin aren't pre-twelth century.

-There are annals that cover Wales; Annals of Wales, Annals of Ulster and histories; by Gildas, Nennius but these aren't all Welsh writers. -Black Book of Carmarthen, late 12thC -Black Book of Chirk, 1200, which contains the Venedotian Code, also called the Laws of King Hywel -Book of Taliesin, c1275 -White Book of Rhyddech, c1325, contains the Mabinogion which has eleven parts in four sections. The Mabinogi proper, which has corelations to some Irish texts: Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan, Math. Tales from Roman era Britain: Dream of Macsen Wledic, Lludd and Llevelys. Authurian tales: Killrwch and Olwen, Dream of Rhonabwy. Chivalrous tales: Lady of the Fountain, Peredur, Geraint ap Erbin. -Book of Anerin, c1250, the Gododin -Red Book of Hergest, 1375 to 1425, also contains the Mabinogion

Somebody is bound to opine that it's better to keep company with trees than sheets of paper, better to look into the eyes of a calf than to turn pages of vellum. Of course, it's possible to do both.

17. What are the festivals of the Druids?

In which Celtic culture? Which era? Okay... Generally, current Druids celebrate similar festival to other neo-pagans: the solar festivals and the quarter festivals. It seems that the ancient Celts did not celebrate the Equinoxes or Solstices but they were aware of them. The cross-quarter or fire festivals are: *+ Samhain, Celtic New Year(All Saints) Nov.1st; Imbolc or Brigid (Candlemas) Feb.1st; Bealtaine (May Day) May 1st; Lughnasadh or Lunasa Aug.1st. These were usually celebrated on the eve: Oiche Shamhna (All Hallow's Evening or Hallowe'en); Oiche Bhealtaine (May Eve) etc. Some feel it is appropriate to celebrate the festivals acording to the lunar calendar, on the full moon.

Whereas the quarter festivals are more important, some current Druids also observe the solar festivals. There are different reasons. Some tend to socialise with other neo-pagans and just join in. Others want to honor the earth; holidays that commemorate the earth's motion seem appropriate. Another group may want to avoid the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter so substitute the winter solstice and spring equinox. Others are just party animals and will celebrate anything.

  • For brevity, the names are given in Irish and English only but there are Gaidhlig, Welsh, Breton, French, German and maybe Gaulish versions. + The ancient Celts lived only in the Northern Hemisphere. Their descendents in the Southern Hemisphere follow the seasonality of the festivals and reverse the date, ie. Bealtaine is celebrated Nov.1st.

18. Is Druidism/Druidry a form of: religion, spirituality or philosophy?

Don't ask. If you must, bring your tights, mask and wrestling garb.

  • Religion includes spirituality, culture, ritual, myth and philosophy. It's a rich mix and if you listened to ME, you could learn the Truth. - Religion is bossy people trying to impose their own views. Spiritual people are peaceful. Religion is responsible for wars! You Are AN IDIOT! - Druidry is a philosophy. We have no need to impose our views like you distasteful lot. A Druid could be a Christian or a Buddhist... - Ayeee!!! Christians are the worst, they're killing the planet! EVIL! - See! You've been corrupted - Evil is a CHRISTIAN concept. Zen Nut! Etc. etc. etc. Repeat.

19. What are Ogham? Aren't they runes?

Runes are an ancient Nordic/Germanic alphabet, with a symbol for each letter. Ogham were Celtic. They are more of a code or marking system; three lines for one letter, four for another. There were carved in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Mann, roughly between 200 and 600 AD/CE. They were carved in stone with short messages in Irish, a few in Latin, usually pertaining to memorials or boundaries. It used to be assumed that it derived from the Roman alphabet but this no longer finds agreement with all.

Irish texts contain references to counting sticks and memory markers that may be Ogham cut on wood. No archaeological examples have been found. It could be that the wood versions preceded the carved ones by hundreds of years but we don't know. There are no references in the Nordic Sagas to runes being used for divination but nowadays they are so used. Similarly while there's no clear cut example in Celtic texts, Ogham are now used for divination, inspiration, spritual guidance etc. It is possible they were so used by Gaelic Druids in ancient times. The Tree Alphabet is used to identify the letters and many long lists of correspondances are possible. They are often cut into wood because of the tree association.

20. What's Imbas? Awen? How about the "Otherworld"?

Imbas is an Old Irish word meaning "poetic inspiration". Imbas in current english seems to be used to mean: divine inspiration, spiritual understanding and/or inspired knowledge.

Awen is a more recent, Welsh-derived word meaning roughly the same.

The "Otherworld" could refer to a Druid's belief in reincarnation or an afterlife but here it refers more to a spiritual understanding or realm, arrived at perhaps with imbas. It is a concept that is held by a variety of opposing groups on a.r.d. They do not, of course, agree on what it means or what to call it. Having an Otherworld experience could mean: that you have communed with the gods, the elders or with spirits; that you have become one with the cosmos; that you understand and can connect with the basic is-ness of existence; etc. All agree it is something that must be experienced to understand and that it can't be explained.

21. Nettiquette - very briefly, please:

1 Check out: NETT.HTM 2 Be polite. Be thoughtful. Spirituality and ethnicity are sensitive issues and you know nothing about the person you address. 3 Don't re-post an entire, long message. Include only the part you are replying to. 4 Keep your line lengths to 70-80 spaces. 5 If you enter a thread in mid-stream, check out the beginning on groups.google.com or just be very careful. It can be very difficult to tell who wrote what. 6 If you must cross-post, limit it to three groups related to the topic. 7 Post no response to obnoxious, off-topic, multi-cross-posted threads. They can entirely jam a smaller newsgroup. E-mail a reply, if you must. 8 Newsgroups are public, anyone can read them. Therefore post nothing you wouldn't want your current boss, future boss, etc. to see.

If you need more information on anything: research it yourself; read a.r.d; post a question to a.r.d .

Colophon

Written by Elaine Stutt, a long-time participant in alt.religion.druid since its founding in 1995. A living document drawing on the collective knowledge of the group's regulars.

Cross-posted from alt.religion.druid to soc.religion.paganism, November 2003.

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: <[email protected]>.

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