The Druids were the intellectual elite of the ancient Celtic people. They were the judges, teachers, and advisors to kings, doctors, religious officials, seers, and philosophers. We have almost no information about the Druids and what they believed. What we do know comes from the writings of the Roman historians, such as Caesar, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus. Caesar probably wrote the most about the Celts and it must be considered that while he may have admired them, he considered them to be the enemy. We must also remember that at the time Caesar was in the process of conquering the continental Celtic tribes, and was looking for support from Rome, so some of these statements must be taken with a grain of salt.

Diodorus Siculus: “They (the Celts) have also certain philosophers and theologians who are treated with great honor, whom they call Druids. They further make use of Seers, thinking them worthy of praise.”

Strabo: “Among all the tribes, generally speaking, there are three classes of men held in special honor: The Bards, the Vates, and the Druids.”

When we wish to examine the duties or disciplines of the Druid we again turn to the Roman historians.

Strabo: “The Bards are singers and poets; the Vates, interpreters of sacrifice and natural philosophers; while the Druids, in addition to the science of nature, study also moral philosophy.”

Caesar: “The Druids officiate at the worship of the Gods, regulate public and private sacrifices, and give rulings on all religious questions” and “they act as judges in practically all disputes whether between tribes or between individuals.…”

The Druids also set up “colleges” to which the nobles and those wishing to become Druids would go to study. Caesar informs us:

“The Druidic doctrine is believed to have been found existing in Britain and thence imported to Gaul; even today those who want to make a profound study of it generally go to Britain for the purpose.”

The Druids didn’t record their lore in writing because as Caesar again informs us:

“The Druids believe that their religion forbids them to commit their teaching to writing, although for most other purposes, such as public and private accounts, the Gauls use the Greek alphabet. But I imagine that this rule was originally established for another reason–because they did not want their doctrine to become public property, and in order to prevent their pupils from relying on the written word and neglecting to train their memories; for it is usually found that when people have the help of texts, they are less diligent in learning by heart, and let their memories rust.”

We have some written records from Ireland and Wales that can help us see into the Druid mind. Christian scribes, who apparently were no longer bound by the Druid prohibition against writing, recorded this great body of lore. Some of these myths were written with a Christian slant. The monks attempted to link some myths with the Bible. When these stories are read with this in mind we can get a picture, albeit a small one, of what the Druids believed.

Greek and Roman sources tell us that the Celts believed in the immortality of the soul and in reincarnation. Caesar states that,

“A lesson, which they take particular pains to inculcate, is that the soul does not perish, but after death passes from one body to another.”

This Druid belief of the immortal soul was attributed to knowledge of the teachings of Pythagoras. However, it is our belief that Pythagoras learned from the concept of the immortal soul from the Druids, not the reverse, but this is a subject for a later essay. There is also mention of the belief in augury, divination, and the practice of human sacrifice. The Roman writers, Caesar in particular, wrote of this practice with abhorrence, obviously forgetting that they too prescribed to human sacrifice, not to mention the sick sport that took place in the coliseum in Rome.

Caesar colored much of his writing in an effort to curry favor for his campaign against the Celts of Gaul. There is some evidence for the practice of human sacrifice in the archaeological record, but much more work needs to be done in this area before we can be sure of the extent to which it occurred. It is accepted that the Celts were headhunters. The Celts believed that the soul resides in the head, and so in taking the head of an enemy they would gain his power, and possibly decrease the possibility of having a powerful enemy in the Otherworld. The Druids held so much influence over the tribal kings and the general populace, it vexed the Romans and the latter decided to exterminate the former. Many Druids were killed and sacred groves and temples were destroyed. It is believed that some Druids escaped to Britain, which was not yet under Roman dominion, though this sanctuary would soon become their final resting place. In 61 A.D. the Roman governor of Britain, Suetonius Paulinus, led the Roman Legions against the last stronghold of the Druids, the Isle of Anglesey in North West Wales. Every inhabitant of the island was put to the sword.

In Ireland, Wales, and parts of Scotland, things were different. The Romans never conquered Ireland, Wales, or Scotland, and so the Druidic influence was felt in these countries long after it had been exterminated in England and continental Europe. In fact, the true demise of the Druids in these countries was the coming of Christianity.

Copyright 1997 By Kenneth R. White. All Rights Reserved.