Ethnographic Research Paper: The Druids

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The Druids
The Druids served as intermediaries between humans and the gods in the ancient Celtic world. To this day, Druid's perceptions are formed by their interactions with Romans due to a lack of archaeological evidence and Roman documents. An archaeological lack of druids can be troublesome for determining their identity. Individuals who have written and continue to write about the Druids have personal biases, making each source less reliable. As druids first encountered the Romans, outlined in Caesar's Gallic Commentaries, played a prominent role in shaping our perceptions of the Druids, the early Greeks, the Welsh and Irish vernacular, 18th and 19th-century writers and even entertainment today also played a significant role in shaping our current society's belief of Druids as supernatural and mythological beings. Identifying the druids is a challenging task. Because of this, the druids are interpreted in different ways by different people. It was during this period between 400BC and 400AD that the druids' subject matter radically shifted. There have been many changes in the historical understanding of the druids as a result.
Several tasks are assigned to the druids of classical literature: religious mediators, philosophers; teachers; and judges. We have the most information about the druids from Caesar. The druids are in control of religion, according to Caesar himself. Public and private sacrifices are under their jurisdiction, as are other religious questions. Druids are depicted as superhuman magicians in early literature in the oral tradition of the Welsh and Irish. Even marvels such as converting yourself or others into animals, such as those recounted in Betha, are linked to druids in Ireland. Finding out "who the druids are" requires taking into account the larger historical and cultural background. Due to a scarcity of extensive evidence for druid priests, the Roman cults and religions came to be (Coleman, n.p). Druidism was the Celtic people's religion in the past, and Druids were the priests and priestesses who consulted with the gods. The term "druid" means "oak people." Because oak is a sacred tree to the Druids, this is the reason. There were Druids, a Celtic social group. A group of nomadic people known as the Celts traveled from their homelands in the Balkans to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. Some aspects of the faith are still practiced in the modern world, though.
The Neo-druids, the believers of this religion, encourage peace, harmony, and preservation of nature. Druidism and other Neopagan religions are on the rise in our day and age. To reconnect with their ancestors, "many people" are searching for their roots (Robinson). Neopagan Druids hold many beliefs. Spirituality permeates the natural and material world, according to them. As a result, they can be considered a very esoteric faith. They don't have a sacred text like the Bible like many other religions, like the Druids. According to historical records, druidic principles may have been revived in northern Britain after the Roman conquest by a seminary of druids that lasted into the 6th century CE (Pritchard, n.p). The devotees of this religion do not share a common set of beliefs. Polytheistic Druids, like Neopagans, believe in a variety of gods; hence their religion is polytheistic. In their view, there are numerous gods and goddesses in the world. Every Druid believes that nature is sacred or divine. When we look at the natural world, we see it as a vast network of life in which nothing is superior to anything else. People like this also believe that our universe is not the only one. In some cultures, there is a belief in the presence of the 'Otherworld' or a realm that exists beyond our ability to see it.
There is a strong emphasis on nature and spirituality in this religion, as you can see. There are three distinct paths an individual can take in Druid. Druids and druidesses make up the group of bards and ovates. First, the bards are stewards of the past. They were tasked with preserving the tribe's history. It took them 12 years to learn everything from grammar to stories to poems to philosophy. The Ovates, who dealt with death and rebirth, is the following class. They were native healers because they were Celts. Oracles, because they could see into the future, we're also a part of their job description. The Druids, of course, are the inspiration for the religion's name. Celtic society saw them as part of the upper echelons of society. Divination is a fundamental activity in this faith. The future can be predicted using various methods, including meditation, bird-flight analysis, dream interpretation, and the pattern formed by sticks tossed on the ground. A baptism initiation ceremony similar to many other religions may have been performed by the Celts, according to certain Druids (Wooley 71-84).
Modern druids are piecing together these ancient Celt customs. The Druids of both the ancient and modern eras celebrate four major holidays each year. On the first of every four months, a fire festival is held. Beginning at sundown and lasting three days, each celebration would be held once each year. Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasad are the four holidays. Samhain, or the end of the warm season, occurs on the first of November and signifies the end of the year. At this point, the veil between our world and the Otherworld is broken. Imbolc, the "return of light" celebration, occurs on the first of February. There were first signs of life, and the soil could be plowed at this point (Beliefs, Practices, and Celebrations). Beltaine is the first of May event. Dancin...