Has there ever been any written evidence found on the practices of ancient druidism ?
I searched the net and found some stuff on druidism but it doesn't make sense to me .One reason why is man`s intellect . People back then seemed more than smart enough to work out chemical formula and math was(if used ) of ancient societies was very developed.For people that well developed and not keep some kind record of their work just doesn't ring true . To not have no way other than word of mouth and to pass on from it mentor to student doesn't make sense . druidICCaw or whatever other prat ices and knowledge they had would be lost easily in events such as plagues, genocide,starvation or wars .Isnt it reasonable to assume that there must be or had been some kind records left of these beliefs
I'm sure there was.
It was most likely destroyed by people practicing conformed religion, thinking they were saving the druids from themselves.
Hope this helps.
The druids passed there knowledge down thru the ages by memory...there was nothing written down because that was part of the training to be a druid priest and when the christians ran the snakes out of great britian(meaning the druids)then who ever was left went under ground and the isle of avalon with them...its a sad thing when people lose track of the magic that we all have in our hearts
1993 Celtic Lore:The History of the Druids and their Timeless Traditions Rutherford Ward
1993 Prophet, Priest and King Ross Nichols
1991 Elements of the Druid Tradition Phillip Carr-Gomm
Some scholars have argued that Druids originally belonged to a Prue-Celtic ('non-Aryan') population in Britain and Ireland (from where they spread to Gaul), noting that there is no trace of Druidism among Celts elsewhere - in Cisalpine Italy, Spain, or Galatia (modern Turkey). Others, however, believe that Druids were an indigenous Celtic intelligentsia to be found among all Celtic peoples, but were known by other names
In Celtic polytheism the word druid denotes the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies, which existed through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles until they were supplanted by Roman government and, later, Christianity. Druidic practices were part of the culture of all the tribal peoples called "Keltoi" and "Galatai" by Greeks and "Celtae" and "Galli" by Romans, which evolved into modern English "Celtic" and "Gaulish". They combined the duties of priest, arbitrator, healer, scholar, and magistrate.
The Druids were polytheists, but also deified elements of nature[citation needed], such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, looking to them for "signs and seasons". They also venerated other natural elements, such as the oak, certain groves, tops of hills, streams, lakes and even plants, most of all, mistletoe. Fire was regarded as a symbol of several divinities and was associated with the sun and cleansing.
Their calendar year was governed by the lunar, solar, and vegetative cycles. Archaeological evidence suggests that ceremonies were conducted to celebrate the two solstices and two equinoxes every year.[citation needed] These festivals would have been governed by the position and motions of the Sun alone. In addition to these, four holidays were celebrated according to the lunar and vegetative cycles. These include Imbolc (Imbolg) to denote the first signs of spring, Beltane (Beltain) to recognize the fullness of life after spring, Lughnassah to celebrate the power of the Solar deity Lugh, and Samhain to recognize the lowering of the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead. The timing for these latter four festivals would have been determined by the presence of a full moon and the signs of life implied by the above. Imbolg would thus be celebrated at a full moon roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox, Beltane between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice, Lughnassah between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and Samhain between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. This is contrary to popular "New Age" beliefs about Druidism that celebrate a given holiday according to the Julian calendar, which of course did not exist at the time of the formulation of these holidays. In modern times, Imbolg has been transformed into Groundhog Day, elements of Beltane have been absorbed into Easter, and Samhain has become Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve or All Saint's Day).
Modern attempts at reconstructing or reinventing Druidism are called Neo-druidism.
Word of mouth, or oral traditions, have existed in many cultures, and perhaps still do in some indigenous peoples such as those in South America. With the druids, it is speculated (or perhaps known --I'm no historian) that it was considered profane to record their teachings n writing. However, this much is known -- The Romans recorded that they sacrificed humans, specifically
condemned criminals. Judicial executions were no different elsewhere in Europe, including Saxony. The Romans wrote that such victims were tied into huge wicker man-shaped effigies and burned alive. The archaeological record does reveal a number of sacrificial deaths, such as "triple-deaths" where the victim was drowned, stoned, and impaled on a spear simultaneously. Some mythologies describe one person's life being sacrificed so that a terminally ill VIP would survive, thus indicating a belief in a cosmic balance of forces. However, there is some debate over this; it may have been anti-Druid propaganda. Julius Caesar had good reason to make the Druids look bad, because, after all, he was trying to conquer them. It would fuel interest in his campaign back home if he could prove that the Celts engaged in such barbaric practices. On the other hand, the Romans would
kill people in gladiatorial games, for the entertainment of the people. The Druids, if they did sacrifice people, could claim religious sanction. The archaeological record is ambiguous if such sacrifice was judicial or ceremonial, or even if it occurred at all. Whether this refer ed to both the Irish and Gaulish Druids, I am uncertain. Actually, I'm a bit to lazy to investigate it much further. Other than the various Hts and legends, however we have come to know them today, is probably your best bet for research and investigation.
The Druids didn't write down their religious secrets precisely because they wanted them to remain secret. They did write for mundane purposes (using the old Greek alphabet, Julius Caesar said) but the "holy mysteries" were transmitted only by the spoken word, in mnemonic verse. Modern Druids -- not actually descended from the ancient ones, but trying to reconstruct the ancient beliefs and practices -- use writing because modern people just don't exercise their memories enough to equal the Druids of old. But, since they are trying to figure out a religion from little bits and pieces of evidence -- many recorded by the Druids' enemies -- they end up with wildly differing results.
Has there ever been any written evidence found on the practices of ancient druidism ?
