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VIVA – Druid, a member of the learned class among the Ancient Celts. Druids are described as religious leaders in England and France. They are philosophers, teachers, and people who are wise about nature and the traditions of society. It is known, Druids are mediators between humans and God.
That statement is the understanding of Professor of Archeology at the University of Oxford, Barry Cunliffe in the book Druid: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2010).
Almost everything that is known about druids was written by non-druids and originated with the Romans. This causes problems for modern historians trying to understand who the druids were and how their roles changed over time.
Historians are not sure when druidism began. Cunliffe notes that the earliest written reference to druids dates back about 2,400 years, although druidism may have existed earlier than that.
Ilustraai druid
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Julius Caesar who conquered Gaul from 58 BC to 50 BC and invaded England from 55 BC to 54 BC is one of the main sources of information about druids, as quoted from the Live Science website on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
In a series of books collectively known as The Gallic Wars, Caesar wrote that the druids engaged in sacred things made public and private sacrifices, and interpreted all religious matters. Besides, carrying out religious duties, they are often asked to settle disputes.
“If a crime has been committed, if a murder has been committed, if there is an inheritance dispute, if there is a boundary, (the druids) decide how to settle it. They set the reward and the punishment," Julius Caesar wrote.
Each group of druids had a leader and disputes would arise over who should be the leader, sometimes leading to violence. Julius Caesar claimed that the druids forbade their members to write down their religious beliefs or teachings. Druids did not want their doctrines to be leaked out and they want their members to memorize their beliefs and teachings.
When Christianity spread throughout Europe, druidism gradually faded away. Cunliffe notes that druids still existed in Ireland in the 8th century AD but very small numbers.
"Druids are now seen as love potions and spell makers, but not many. The mood is captured by one of the 8th-century hymns asking God for protection from female spells, blacksmiths, and druids!" Cunliffe remarked.
Druidism probably lasted until about the ninth century. Although druidism faded during the Middle Ages, they have been revived in modern times.
However, Cunliffe and other scholars have shown that there is a gap of almost a millennium between the death of the ancient druids and the appearance of this group of resurrections.
