In the closest thing there is to an Irish creation story,
Cath Maige Tuired, the Tuatha Dé Danan are said to have spent time in the
“north of the world” in the cities of Findias, Gorias, Murias and Falias, studying
the mystical arts and Druidecht. From this beginning, one can infer that Druidecht
was the main religion of the pre-Christian and early Irish people. Their gods
were students of Druids. The gods are Druids. In the recorded, written texts
that survive from the 7th and 8th centuries, Druids are
alternately praised for their wisdom and skill or denigrated for being
purveyors of idolatry and demonism. It is the Druids who are said to be in
charge of Pagan religion in Ireland by the Christian priests, monks and scribes
who strove to replace them. If there was no truth in this high status for
Druids in early Ireland, then why did the early Christian priesthood at times
attack them?
Not all early Christian priests attacked the concepts of
Druidecht or Druids. Many were themselves formerly Druids or the students of
Druids. Others were of the Filidh or Brehons. When Christianity was embraced as
the main religion of the Irish, one of its most revered saints, Columcille,
characterized Christ as being “My Druid, the Son of God.” This seems to be a
carry-over from the pre-Christian idea that the gods were Druids and the
students of original Druids. The most revered saint of Ireland, Padraig, was
himself a former slave to a Druid. He learned the ways so well that he was able
to move through Irish society in the proper manner with suitable sureties and
support. Without this skill, acquired in his earlier captivity, Padraig’s
mission would most likely have been doomed to a similar failure to that of his
predecessors. Rounded out the top three saints of Ireland is Brighid, who was
either the slave of a Druid, the daughter of a Druid or the daughter of the God
of Druids, An Dagda, depending on the tradition that one embraces.
Early Christianity could not completely change the beliefs,
practices and traditions of the Irish, so many of these were adapted or
incorporated directly into the new Christian ways. Deities were renamed as
saints or became kings, ancestors and heroes in the tales. The Pagan Irish gods
were demoted and synchronized in the tales to become invading people and
tribes. The Tuatha Dé Danann became a
tribe that worshipped certain generic deities called the Three Gods of Danann
and fought against the earlier, primal deities, the Fomorii, who were
themselves demoted in the newly rewritten literature to be an older people of
Ireland,
The Leabor Gabála Érinn was written to form a bridge between
the earlier gods and spirits of Ireland (now merely people and tribes) and the
people of the Christian Bible, even to the detail of constructing an artificial
genealogy all the way back to Noah and Adam, the first man. Later deities were converted into the “Sons
of Mil” and the Irish who claimed them as primal ancestors were now related to
a people who were said to have stood aside at the Exodus of the Hebrews out of
Egypt, under Moses, across the Reed Sea. For this, the Milesians were said to
have been caste out of Egypt by Pharaoh and to have begun an overland journey
to Spain from which they would eventually voyage to Ireland.
Meanwhile, in the Ireland of this fictitous history, the
gods (now merely humans) were battling among themselves (the Fomorii and the
Firbolg, until the Tuatha Dé gained the upper hand). The synchronization of
Biblical history, Greek history and Irish history was made complete by the
introduction of ancestors from the Greeks under Nemed and Partholan, as well as
from the Hebrews under the daughter of Noah, Cesair, who each made separate
short term voyages and attempted settlements. Unsurprisingly, few of these
connecting people and tribes survived to clutter up or complicate Irish history
and ancestry. Yet, even here, there are shown to be Druids among these people.
The Three Druids of Partholan are Fios, Eolas and Fochmart (themselves named
for Knowledge, Experience and Inquiry). Caicher is named as a Druid and a
chieftain of the Milesians. Here are the
highest skills of the Sons of Mil (as stated in the Book of Fermoy version of
the Leabor Gabála):
“Mil son of Bile tarried eight years in Egypt, and twelve
men of his followers learnt the principal arts:
Segda, Sobairce, and Suirge learnt craftmanship, Mantan, Caicher and
Fulman learnt druidry; another three,
Gosten, Amorgen, and Donn, were arbitratiors and judges. The other three, Mil, Oici and Uici, were
warriors. They nurtured their
multiplicity of actions and of accomplishments in Egypt. “
Every people or ancestral tribe of the Irish had their own
Druids whether they were deities, demons, heroes or even Christians. The laws
even specified them to be a part of every king’s retinue such as this privilege
for the kings of Caishel found in Crith Gablach:
“The king of Fir
Maige receives twenty cumals and the Fir Maige supplv a druid to Caisel, and
their best man is in the confidence of the king of Caisel.”
Some kings were Druids as the Testament of Cathair to his
ten sons demonstrates in his own words (found in some versions of Lebor na
Cert):
“I am Cathaír the triumphant.
I am thy druid and thy father.
It is plain from my pronouncements —
it is not in drunkeness that I boast of thee —
that thou shalt be a noble rock.'
He gave then his chess and his skill at chess to Ailill
Céthech.”
The idea that Druids held a high status persisted in Ireland
even after the efforts of some early Christian clerics to denigrate them and
their followers. The term seems to have evolved back toward a mark of respect
by the 11th century CE when wise people or poets are once again considered to
be a kind of Druid. Here is an instance of a person being called bot a Fie and
a Druid from the Annals of the Four Masters for the year 1097:
“The Druid Ua Carthaigh, chief poet of Connaught, was killed
by the Connaughtmen themselves.”
The equating of Poets and Druids above is an example of how
the terms evolved in their usage to mean the same type of person when perhaps
they were originally separate functions. This evolution of Druid to mean Poets
or Filidh is evidenced by one of the terms used to define “Druid” in the
Dictionary of the Irish Language:
““(c) In mod. lit. esp. poetry usually poet, learned man:
primh-drūith ┐ primh-ollamh Connacht, FM 1067 . Néidhe draoi, KEAT. POEMS 116 .
grianán dáimhe is draoithe, 1483 ; cf. 757 . ÉRIU IV 56.62 , CONTENT. XXV 6 ,
E. O'RAHILLY XX 5 , HACKETT XIX 26 “
Druids also crop up in the list of the Filidh compiled by
Kuno Meyer in his _Irish Metrics_. Some of these dual professionals are said to
be both a File and a Druid:
Unknown Date -
Bec mac Dé (druad) 1551(Tig.)
Unknown Date -
Brigit ban'fili 7bandrui ingen Echdach Ollathir (O'Mulc. 159LL. p.187° ;
Corm. s.v. Brigit)
Unknown Date -
Labhán draoi, file Albanach (Keat. Hist, iii, p.58)
1st Century -
Cathbad drúi
1067 -
Murchadh ua Carthaig prímdrúith 7 prímollam Connacht
In his
_Dictionary of Celtic Mythology_ entry for Druids, James MacKillop gives a list
of thirty people who were said to be Druids in the old texts and say s that the
actual list would be too extensive for his dictionary. The two most prominently
mentioned are Cathbadh and Mug Ruith. MacKillop also lists Morann as a Druid
though his Audacht Morann seems to be more the work of a File or a Brehon. In a
similar fashion Ferchertne and Nede mac Adne are said by Christian Guyonovich’ to
be Druids acting as Filidh in their famous colloquay, Immacallam in Dá Thuradh
There are many other references to Draoithe being Filidh
I offer up a sampling from an afternoon’s browsing for
references where Druids and Poets are called both in the traditional literature
preserved in Ireland. It is clear that the idea that the two are almost
identical has been one that is firmly held in Ireland for thousands of years.
It’s not much of a stretch from there to conclude that when the fortunes of the
Druid class diminished that the Filidh took up many of the non-priestly duties
of the Druids. In this task, I believe history reports that they were much more
successful than the Christian priest were in taking on the wisdom, skilled
knowledge and crerative abilities of the Druids for the people.
From Keating’s History of Ireland, p. 59:
“It was while
Diarmaid, son of Cearbhall, was king of Ireland that a poet of Alba, called
Labhan Draoi, came to Ireland; and having heard tidings of the generosity of
Eochaid Aontsula, ancestor of siol Suilleabhain, he came to visit him and ask
him for a gift, and he would not accept any gift from him but one of his eyes;
and Eochaidh gave him one of his eyes lest the druid might satirise him.”
On pp. 91-93
“Six fifties of
our company
Of the great army of Spain,
That number of our host fell,
With the loss of the two worthy druids:
Of the great army of Spain,
That number of our host fell,
With the loss of the two worthy druids:
Uar and Eithiar
of the steeds,
Beloved were the two genuine poets;
A stone in bareness above their graves,
In their Fenian tombs we leave them.”
Beloved were the two genuine poets;
A stone in bareness above their graves,
In their Fenian tombs we leave them.”
On pp. 343-345
“It was ordained
in Cormac's time that every high king of Ireland should keep ten officers in
constant attendance on him, who did not separate from him as a rule, namely, a
prince, a brehon, a druid, a physician, a bard, a seancha, a musician, and
three stewards: the prince to be a bodyattendant on the king; the brehon to
explain the customs and laws of the country in the king's presence; a druid to
offer sacrifices, and to forebode good or evil to the country by means of his
skill and magic; a physician to heal the king and his queen and the rest of the
household; a filé to compose satire or panegyric for each one according to his good
or evil deeds; a seancha to preserve the genealogies, the history, and
transactions of the nobles from age to age; a musician to play music, and to
chant poems and songs in the presence of the king; and three stewards with
their company of attendants and cupbearers to wait on the king, and attend to
his wants. This custom was kept from the time of Cormac to the death of Brian
son of Cinneide without change, except that, since the kings of Ireland
received the Faith of Christ, an ecclesiastical chaplain took the place of the
druid, to declare and explain the precepts and the laws of God to the king, and
to his household. Thus does the seancha set forth the matter just stated:
There are ten
round the king,
Without rivalry, without anxiety—
I can name them all,
Both prince and official.
Without rivalry, without anxiety—
I can name them all,
Both prince and official.
There are
appointed to attend on gracious kings,
A brehon, a filé, and a prince;
The king who has not the three named,
His honour-price is not sanctioned by Fenian law.
A brehon, a filé, and a prince;
The king who has not the three named,
His honour-price is not sanctioned by Fenian law.
A chaplain to
expound the gospels,
A seancha who sets right every mishap,
A musician skilled in harp-strings also:
For these fine and honour-price are appointed.
A seancha who sets right every mishap,
A musician skilled in harp-strings also:
For these fine and honour-price are appointed.
The fourth person
is a physician,
To look to each one's disease;
Three stewards to serve famous companies,
I shall record for the hosts of Erin.
To look to each one's disease;
Three stewards to serve famous companies,
I shall record for the hosts of Erin.
The king who
shall not have all these
Has no right to be in the Reim Rioghruidhe;
In the house of Tara shall not pass his time
A king not having the ten.”
Has no right to be in the Reim Rioghruidhe;
In the house of Tara shall not pass his time
A king not having the ten.”
The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes (Author: unknown):
Tale 4, Version C, p. 15
“[1] The men of
Ulster were holding a great gathering in the plain of Murthemne. Then towards
the gathering came Bochrach, a poet and druid of the men of Leinster, having
come out of Leinster after learning poetry. Of him Conchobar asked tidings of
Alba and Leth Moga.”
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem 15
Faffand
[Broccaid]
5 … the swift
druid, the skilled poet,
to blemish the famous king of Berre,
Meilge, son of kindly Cobthach.
to blemish the famous king of Berre,
Meilge, son of kindly Cobthach.
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem 6, p63
Ceilbe
“Thither to seek her goes
the seer who was famous in his day,
(in sooth he was noted for no lowly fortune);
Dallán was the poet's name.
the seer who was famous in his day,
(in sooth he was noted for no lowly fortune);
Dallán was the poet's name.
Ceilbe comes to
greet and welcome
Dallán son of Machadán:
she comes having a branch laden with berries
concealed under her cloak.
Dallán son of Machadán:
she comes having a branch laden with berries
concealed under her cloak.
When they met in
her fair domain
she said to the grandson of Echtigern,
"Let it be declared by you, without offence thereat,
what is under my bosom, if thou canst."
she said to the grandson of Echtigern,
"Let it be declared by you, without offence thereat,
what is under my bosom, if thou canst."
Without need and
without compulsion
she spoke only to test the son of Machadan;
the druid declares to the great indolent lady
what was under her bosom straightway.
she spoke only to test the son of Machadan;
the druid declares to the great indolent lady
what was under her bosom straightway.
"Thou hast,
O fair-haired maiden,"
said the druid not carelessly,
("a hard feat to lean upon spikes,)
a branch of blackthorn covered with dark sloes."
said the druid not carelessly,
("a hard feat to lean upon spikes,)
a branch of blackthorn covered with dark sloes."
"Thou shalt
rue it, keen maiden,"
said the ill-boding poet:
"I in my turn will mar the colour of thy face;
this shall be thy reward for vexing me."
said the ill-boding poet:
"I in my turn will mar the colour of thy face;
this shall be thy reward for vexing me."
Then said comely
Ceilbe,
"I am under thy protection, O poet!
Blemish me not for my sport
because I did not show the fruit.
"I am under thy protection, O poet!
Blemish me not for my sport
because I did not show the fruit.
"Thou shalt have of me, to check thy
black displeasure,
as sufficient satisfaction for my offence,
in compensation for my demand of you,
the sod-built liss where you got your asking."
as sufficient satisfaction for my offence,
in compensation for my demand of you,
the sod-built liss where you got your asking."
"All my
domain without detriment
shall be thine, son of Machadán,
without my heir being mentioned in my place;
only Ceilbe shall be its name, after me."
shall be thine, son of Machadán,
without my heir being mentioned in my place;
only Ceilbe shall be its name, after me."
Though she gave
her domain to the seer,
the daughter of white-skinned Cearball gained
115] the unfading name of that keep:
was it not an obligation to bestow it on her? “
the daughter of white-skinned Cearball gained
115] the unfading name of that keep:
was it not an obligation to bestow it on her? “
Ailill Aulom, Mac Con, and Find ua Báiscne (Author: [unknown])
“Ailill Moshaulum son of Mug Nuadat was king over one half
of Ireland and was a druid.”
The genealogy of Corca Laidhe (Author: Unknown)
p.67
Appendix A
LUGHAIDH MAL.
After this the
youth asked her,
'O fair damsel, whence camest thou?
Tell and inform us here,
Speak to me; do not conceal it from me.'
'O fair damsel, whence camest thou?
Tell and inform us here,
Speak to me; do not conceal it from me.'
'I say unto thee,
O mild youth,
With me the arch-kings cohabit,
I am the majestic, slender damsel,
The sovereignty of Alba and Eire.
With me the arch-kings cohabit,
I am the majestic, slender damsel,
The sovereignty of Alba and Eire.
To thee I have
revealed myself to-night;
That is all; but thou shalt not cohabit with me,
Thou shalt have a son, honored in him,
He is the man with whom I shall cohabit.
That is all; but thou shalt not cohabit with me,
Thou shalt have a son, honored in him,
He is the man with whom I shall cohabit.
The name of thy son,
the mode is good,
Shall be Lughaidh Mor; he shall be a royal son,
For we have been longing more for him,
He shall be a druid, a prophet, a poet.'
Shall be Lughaidh Mor; he shall be a royal son,
For we have been longing more for him,
He shall be a druid, a prophet, a poet.'
Skills Comparison
I've included a short summary of similar skills that were
exercised by the Druids and the Filidh. In the interest of brevity, I have not
included citations and references to these in the tales and literature. Anyone
that requires further expansion on these can easily find them in the online
reference and archive sites for Irish literature from the earlier times. The
Metrical Dindshenchas contains a wealth of such references as does Geoffrey
Keating's _History of Ireland_ (as can be seen in my references above). These
are available online at UCC CELT (as well as its great search engine).
Pre-Christian Druids Post-Christian Poets
Prophecy Prophecy
Divination Divination
Dream
Interpretation Dream
Interpretation
Poetry Poetry
Chanting Chanting
Rituals Rituals
(Sacrifices and Gatherings) (Marriages and Gatherings)
(Sacrifices and Gatherings) (Marriages and Gatherings)
Judging Judging
Magic Magic
(Geasa, Charms,
Curses) (Praise,
Satires, Curses)
Histories Histories
Tales Tales
Ogham Ogham
King’s Retinue King’s
Retinue
I recommend that anyone seeking further background or
information on how the Filidh carried on the roles and work of the Druids in
Irish society that they read John Minahane's, _The Christian Druids_: http://www.howthfreepress.com/books/the-christian-druids-on-the-filid-or-philosopher-poets-of-ireland.html
Searles
O'Dubhain
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