Druid: A Dangerous Definition
"Druid" is a loaded term.
For some it throws images to mind of white-robed, sickle bearing Santas, in a peaceful Victorian grove, high aloft in trees gathering mistletoe. For some it draws images of wild, naked warriors lost to an ecstatic dance around a large wooden prison-of-a-man with captives inside screaming as they are burnt to black bones. For some, it's a DnD class, or other gaming platform which involves an individual with intimate knowledge of nature. It's actually not a far stretch to say that the term is appropriate for all of these things in our world today.
We don't know for absolute-certain what the meaning of the word is. Some say it's from the Old Irish drui (druid, to know) or the Welsh dryw (seer), and some say it has something to do with being of oak trees or wrens. I'm sure there are some interesting arguments by linguists to be found on the internet in this regard. There is a decent body of written work by various Romans regarding the nature of the Druids, especially in Gaul. Still, in dealing with Druids and Druidry, one must become accustomed to one solid absolutism: We really don't know everything. We can make guesses all day, infer from writings (what little there are), but unfortunately the Druids maintained an oral tradition and much of that is lost. Is it possible that some of the folklore we have today stems from the oral tradition once taught? Sure. But we don't really have a clue which ones those were.
From the writings, we can discern that BEING a Druid was something that involved many years (20 or more) of learning; oral lore, math, astronomy, divination/augery, bardic studies...and that it likely took a while for a young lad (or lass) to climb the ranks to Druid. We are told there were bards (musicians, historians, lorekeepers), votes (those who study natural phenomenon, ritualists, diviners) and druids (also study natural phenomena, with a focus on law/morality and justice). We know that they measured time by nights, not days. We are informed of this by Mr. Caesar, who wrote a bit on the subject. We do not know that all of ancient Druidism was set up in this manner, especially not in Ireland where there seems to be some overlap.The Romans, they tried to spread to Ireland, but She has a way of defending Herself.
There are TOMES of work written on Druids. I don't intend to rewrite them on this little blog, but I can give you some good references if you want to read more.
But why do I do it? Why do I have the cajones to summon up a description for myself from the great mists of time and WITHOUT that 20 years of oral tradition training?
Well, because I mostly fit the definition. What teachings we have available resonate with me (no, I don't kill people. That is murder and murder is a crime.). My ancestors came from Ireland, from Scotland, from England, from the Normans (specifically), from the Germans (and one Jose from unknown origin) and a wide swath of Europe reaching up to Denmark and Norway. I am your typical American Euro-mutt and carry all of the ancestral baggage and spiritual dna that comes along with it. I believe in reincarnation. I believe death is a natural part of life that needs not be feared. I believe in the immortal gods of my ancestors, not just because they are written about and I'm told they exist, but because I have EXPERIENCED them. They are not just my Gods and the Gods of my ancestors, but probably ARE my ancestors as well. Great deeds do raise up mere mortals to immortality of another kind. I need no intercessor between myself and the sacred, or myself and the divine. I am part of the divine because I am part of the natural world and work closely with it. I engage in relationships with spirits, local and ancient, and some modern.
I also serve (you read that right. Serve) as a lawgiver at my local Grove, which is affiliated with the ADF variety of modern Druidry, and Druid is part of the title I bear there. I am a Seer; a vessel for aisling and imbas and the mysterious third. I've got a bachelor's degree in science in theater (remember that 20 years of required training?).I'm an artist; a photographer specifically. I am a broken human and can never be employed as a warrior. I am actively learning, every single day, on my Druid path; it is hard work. I am studied. I have a ridiculous library. There are a number of other words I could use, but do not out of respect to cultures I bear no ancestry with. To me, Druid and Shaman are essentially the same, though I'm sure one could write a book on their differences also. I'm an ecstatic. I see ghosts.
I am aware. I am awake to all the worlds, and walk between them. It is always dangerous to define onesself totally, but honestly it's just easier to use one word that works rather than a stew of descriptions about what I am. Other people have other ideas about it, and that's totally cool.
The cool part is? I'm not alone.
For some it throws images to mind of white-robed, sickle bearing Santas, in a peaceful Victorian grove, high aloft in trees gathering mistletoe. For some it draws images of wild, naked warriors lost to an ecstatic dance around a large wooden prison-of-a-man with captives inside screaming as they are burnt to black bones. For some, it's a DnD class, or other gaming platform which involves an individual with intimate knowledge of nature. It's actually not a far stretch to say that the term is appropriate for all of these things in our world today.
We don't know for absolute-certain what the meaning of the word is. Some say it's from the Old Irish drui (druid, to know) or the Welsh dryw (seer), and some say it has something to do with being of oak trees or wrens. I'm sure there are some interesting arguments by linguists to be found on the internet in this regard. There is a decent body of written work by various Romans regarding the nature of the Druids, especially in Gaul. Still, in dealing with Druids and Druidry, one must become accustomed to one solid absolutism: We really don't know everything. We can make guesses all day, infer from writings (what little there are), but unfortunately the Druids maintained an oral tradition and much of that is lost. Is it possible that some of the folklore we have today stems from the oral tradition once taught? Sure. But we don't really have a clue which ones those were.
From the writings, we can discern that BEING a Druid was something that involved many years (20 or more) of learning; oral lore, math, astronomy, divination/augery, bardic studies...and that it likely took a while for a young lad (or lass) to climb the ranks to Druid. We are told there were bards (musicians, historians, lorekeepers), votes (those who study natural phenomenon, ritualists, diviners) and druids (also study natural phenomena, with a focus on law/morality and justice). We know that they measured time by nights, not days. We are informed of this by Mr. Caesar, who wrote a bit on the subject. We do not know that all of ancient Druidism was set up in this manner, especially not in Ireland where there seems to be some overlap.The Romans, they tried to spread to Ireland, but She has a way of defending Herself.
There are TOMES of work written on Druids. I don't intend to rewrite them on this little blog, but I can give you some good references if you want to read more.
But why do I do it? Why do I have the cajones to summon up a description for myself from the great mists of time and WITHOUT that 20 years of oral tradition training?
Well, because I mostly fit the definition. What teachings we have available resonate with me (no, I don't kill people. That is murder and murder is a crime.). My ancestors came from Ireland, from Scotland, from England, from the Normans (specifically), from the Germans (and one Jose from unknown origin) and a wide swath of Europe reaching up to Denmark and Norway. I am your typical American Euro-mutt and carry all of the ancestral baggage and spiritual dna that comes along with it. I believe in reincarnation. I believe death is a natural part of life that needs not be feared. I believe in the immortal gods of my ancestors, not just because they are written about and I'm told they exist, but because I have EXPERIENCED them. They are not just my Gods and the Gods of my ancestors, but probably ARE my ancestors as well. Great deeds do raise up mere mortals to immortality of another kind. I need no intercessor between myself and the sacred, or myself and the divine. I am part of the divine because I am part of the natural world and work closely with it. I engage in relationships with spirits, local and ancient, and some modern.
I also serve (you read that right. Serve) as a lawgiver at my local Grove, which is affiliated with the ADF variety of modern Druidry, and Druid is part of the title I bear there. I am a Seer; a vessel for aisling and imbas and the mysterious third. I've got a bachelor's degree in science in theater (remember that 20 years of required training?).I'm an artist; a photographer specifically. I am a broken human and can never be employed as a warrior. I am actively learning, every single day, on my Druid path; it is hard work. I am studied. I have a ridiculous library. There are a number of other words I could use, but do not out of respect to cultures I bear no ancestry with. To me, Druid and Shaman are essentially the same, though I'm sure one could write a book on their differences also. I'm an ecstatic. I see ghosts.
I am aware. I am awake to all the worlds, and walk between them. It is always dangerous to define onesself totally, but honestly it's just easier to use one word that works rather than a stew of descriptions about what I am. Other people have other ideas about it, and that's totally cool.
The cool part is? I'm not alone.
I've been really hesitant to claim the title druid myself, but a lot of what you've posted here really resonates with me. Particularly your description of having experienced the gods directly, and where you mention seeing the gods as ancestors. I could go on a bit about what that means to me, but perhaps I should save that for my own blog.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing more from you! Also, if it's okay, I might pass the link along to some UMBC folk with an interest in ADF.
-Andrew