Druid

Druids were the elite priestly class in ancient Celtic societies, serving multiple crucial roles beyond religious leadership. They functioned as judges, keepers of oral tradition, healers, and trusted advisors to rulers. Though believed to be literate, druids adhered to a doctrine that forbade written records of their teachings, leaving no direct written accounts of their practices.

Our knowledge of druids comes primarily through contemporary Greek and Roman sources. The earliest references date to the 4th century BCE, with Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (50s BCE) providing the most comprehensive early description. Other Roman writers including Cicero, Tacitus, and Pliny the Elder also documented druidic practices. Following Rome's conquest of Gaul, the druidic orders faced systematic suppression under Emperors Tiberius and Claudius, eventually disappearing from historical records by the 2nd century CE.

The term "druid" resurfaced around 750 CE in a poem by Blathmac that compared Jesus favorably to druids. In medieval Irish literature, including the 12th century epic "Táin Bó Cúailnge," druids appear as significant characters. Later Christian legends often portrayed them as sorcerers who opposed Christian missionaries.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw a Celtic revival that spawned Neo-Druidism, with fraternal organizations and religious movements inspired by (often romanticized) ideas about ancient druids. Modern scholarship has corrected many misconceptions perpetuated during this period, offering a more historically accurate understanding of these fascinating Celtic religious leaders.