THE MYSTIQUE OF DRUID CULTURE

As an ancient culture, the Druids conjure mysterious and perhaps even magical images in our minds. The opera, Norma, is set in 50 B.C. Gaul. At that time, Gaul spanned land crossing borders of present day France, Luxembourg, and Belgium, as well as parts of Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Tribes of Celtic people ruled much of Gaul, and the Druids were a social class within the Celts. Religion was tantamount to ancient societies—think Greek, Egyptian, and African tribal nations—so that ethnicity, religious beliefs, cultural and traditions were closely intertwined. The Druids shared practices that were similar to Celts, and also had some uniquely their own.

From the earliest accounts the Romans viewed the Druids as barbarians. Even though the Celts had conquered much of modern-day Western Europe centuries before the Romans arrived, as each Roman ruler expanded his empire, the Celts retreated and were eventually relegated to where we now associate Celtic culture—in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Originally a highly nature-based culture, when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul in 58 B.C., he forced the Druids out of forests into temples. In the 2nd century, as Christianity began to emerge as a dominant belief system, Roman Emperor Tiberius banned all Druidic rituals. By 7th Century, the Catholic church had banned all practice of Celtic rights and rituals across Western Europe.

It is for these reasons that we have little documented knowledge of the Druid people and their cultural practices. The earliest records date back to 7th century B.C., with the most comprehensive account being Julius Caesar’s, who ruled the Roman empire during the events of Norma, in c. 50 B.C.) It is possible Caesar based some of his understanding of the Druids not only on observation, but from the writings of a much earlier philosopher, Poseidonius (c. 135 B.C. – 51 B.C.). Other Roman sources include Stabo, Siculus, Pliny, and Tacitus.

The region of Gaul, 1st c. B.C. Courtesy of the U.S. Military History Academy.

tree” in the Celtic language, with the IndoEuropean word dru, meaning truth. Old oak forests played a central role in Druid cultural rites and rituals. The Druids were extremely educated and revered, serving as priests, teachers, and judges in Gaul. It took up to 20 years to complete learning the oral history necessary to be considered a Druid, yet as it remained an oral culture, no written history exists. The Druids were led by a high priest who was in charge of sacrifices and judicial proceedings. They were also exempt from taxes and military services. It is believed that the Druids were held in such high regard, if they intervened in the middle of Gallic battle they would cause it to come to complete standstill.

Female Druids were particularly interesting to Roman and Greek writers who were intrigued by the power they held in Celtic society. Druidic women were active in politics, war, and were said to have magical and prophetic abilities. Archeologists have excavated many females buried with

treasure who are believed to be Druidesses. Most of our current understanding of the Druids is embedded in medieval Irish literature as well as the popular revival of Druidic ideals during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Though alluded to in Roman sources, the magical elements of Druidism and especially female Druids appear mainly in these later stories.

Medieval Irish literature preserved what was left of Celtic culture after the Roman empire took over. These writings continue to influence Irish authors today. The archetype of a youthful, beautiful, life-giving, but fearsome goddess appears often in this canon, and is referred to by the Celtic word, bandruí (female-druid). Bandrui is identified with rivers, flora, and fauna. Irish folktales paint her as a sorceress or prophetesses with the ability to heal others through incantations and transfigure themselves into an animal. Meanwhile, some medieval Christian writers demonized the Druids as barbarians, while others relegated them to cautionary tales. As Ireland’s movement for independence from England gained momentum in the 19th and 20th centuries, Irish authors and playwrights sought to

The popular role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, includes Druids in their set of character classes. In the game, Druids have nature-themed magic powers, and can change into various animal forms. Other popular media such as comic books, movies (The Hobbit), television (Teen Wolf, Outlander), and various video games such as Diablo, World of Warcraft, and The Elder Scrolls, feature Druids or Druidlike characters. In these iterations, they are almost always ascribed with magical powers. Dungeons and Dragons… and Druids!

Animated Druid and fairy from video game.

Neo-Druidic ideals were popular in the Romantic era, when Bellini was alive. British imperialists were fascinated by the study of what they deemed “primitive” and aligned themselves with the Roman mentality of expansionism as they colonized countries in Asia and Africa. Numerous books were published—many of which have since been discredited by contemporary anthropologists—and some scholars attempted to recreate Druidic rituals and rites. The orders that emerged inspired by Druidic practices were often mixed with elements of Christianity, yet the interest in Druidism was more often academic and spiritual as Europe moved away from the Age of Enlightenment and into the Romantic era. Neo-Druidic values included a reverence for nature, belief in reincarnation, and mysticism. Bellini found himself at the center of this movement with playwrights and authors seeking inspiration from Druidic tales, as audiences were eager to hear them.

The Druids were an incredibly respected people at their peak. Unlike Greek, Roman, or Egyptian cultures, there is little remaining archaeological evidence. The Roman conquest and the Catholic Church nearly destroyed Celtic culture. However, Druidism (now often referred to as Paganism), is still recognized as an ancient religion, and the culture survives in small sects, literature, and oral tradition.