Druid

A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures.

They were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors.

Druids left no written accounts.

While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in written form.

Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks.

In about 750 AD, the word druid appears in a poem by Blathmac, who wrote about Jesus, saying that he was "better than a prophet, more knowledgeable than every druid, a king who was a bishop and a complete sage."

Druids appear in some of the medieval tales from Christianized Ireland like "Táin Bó Cúailnge", where they are largely portrayed as sorcerers who opposed the coming of Christianity.

In the wake of the Celtic revival during the 18th and 19th centuries, fraternal and neopagan groups were founded based on ideas about the ancient druids, a movement known as Neo-Druidism.

Many popular notions about druids, based on misconceptions of 18th-century scholars, have been largely superseded by more recent study.

• A druid may wear clothing made of animal skins, furs, feathers, or plant fibers, such as wool, linen, or cotton.
  These people may also adorn themselves with jewelry or accessories made of bones, shells, stones, or wood.
  They have symbols or patterns on their clothing and accessories that represent their beliefs, deities or elements.

• A druid may have tattoos, scars, or markings on their skin that show their devotion to nature or their affiliation with a druidic order.
  Druids also have piercings, braids, or beads in their hair or beard.
  Their hair color and style may vary depending on their mood, season, or environment.

• A druid may carry a staff, a wand, a sickle, a knife, or a club as a tool or a weapon.
  They have a pouch, a satchel, a belt, or a backpack that contains various items for their spells, such as herbs, seeds, crystals, or animal parts.
  These people may also have a pet, a familiar, or a companion animal that accompanies them on their travels or assists them in combat.

• A druid may have a distinctive feature that reflects their affinity with a certain aspect of nature, such as eyes that change color with the weather, skin that glows in the dark, or horns that grow from their forehead.
  They have a trait that reveals their ancestry, such as pointed ears, scales, or wings.
  Druids also have a curse, a blessing, or a mutation that affects their appearance, such as a third eye, a tail, or a claw.

• A female druid with long brown hair and green eyes.
  She wears a green cloak over a leather tunic and pants.
  Around her neck, the druid wears a silver necklace with a leaf-shaped pendant and a leather bracelet with a feather-shaped amulet.
  She carries a wooden staff with a crystal on top and a leather pouch with various herbs.
  The druid woman has a tattoo of a vine on her left arm and a piercing on her right ear.
  She is accompanied by a raven that perches on her shoulder.

• A male druid with short blond hair and blue eyes.
  He wears a white robe with a gold belt and sandals.
  This druid has a gold ring with a sun symbol and a wooden amulet with a moon symbol.
  He carries a metal sickle and a cloth satchel with various seeds.
  The mail druid has a scar on his right cheek and a braid on his left side of his hair.
  He is accompanied by a wolf that walks by his side.

• A female druid with curly red hair and brown eyes.
  She wears a fur coat over a linen dress and boots.
  This druid has a bone necklace with a skull pendant and a fur hat with horns.
  She carries a stone club and a skin backpack with various animal parts.
  The woman druid has a marking of a bear paw on her chest and a piercing on her nose.
  She is accompanied by a bear that follows her.

• In historical terms, a Druid was a member of the learned class among the ancient Celts, who acted as priests, teachers, judges, and advisors.
  They were respected for their wisdom and knowledge of various fields, such as astronomy, law, medicine, and poetry.
  They also performed rituals and ceremonies for their communities and communicated with the gods and spirits.
  The word Druid may come from a Celtic root meaning "oak-knower" or "strong seer".

• In literary terms, a Druid is a character that appears in some of the medieval tales and legends from Ireland, Wales, and Britain, where they are often portrayed as magicians, prophets, or shape-shifters.
  They sometimes oppose the spread of Christianity or help the heroes of the stories.
  Some famous examples of Druids in literature are Merlin, Taliesin, and Amergin.

• In modern terms, a Druid is someone who follows Druidry as their chosen spiritual path, or who has entered the Druid level of training in a Druid Order.
  Druidry is a contemporary movement that draws inspiration from the ancient Celtic traditions, but also incorporates elements from other sources, such as nature, mythology, philosophy, and ecology.
  Druids today seek to live in harmony with the natural world, honor their ancestors and heritage, and cultivate their creativity and spirituality.
  These are some of the possible ways to understand what a Druid is.