Nowadays, there is a wide variety of horoscopes, you can easily use the Internet to determine which flower you correspond to, which planet, which season, and so on. It turns out that there is another horoscope, which is much more years and even centuries old than you can imagine. This is the horoscope of the Druids - it has more than two thousand years. For the first time, the horoscope of the Druids, or in other words, the Gallic horoscope, is mentioned in the chronicles of Christian monks, who for some reason needed to record the chronicle of the pagans. So, contrary to popular belief, druids are not at all mythical creatures, but quite real people, the priests of the Celtic tribes.

Druids, like their "colleagues" shamans and sorcerers from different countries performed magical rites, sacrifices and were engaged in predicting the future. Earthly people believed the sages unconditionally. In order to receive honorary title druid, a person had to spend twenty years in complete solitude, in the forest - so it is not surprising that young druids were not observed among the Celts.

The sorcerers considered the forest to be a holy place where a conditional portal opens for communication with unearthly creatures. The priests treated the trees as if they were living beings, endowing them with soul and even character. They argued that every tree, like a person, has its own specific features, advantages and disadvantages. Each requires certain living conditions. The Druids also had a favorite plant - mistletoe. It was used in healing, and in predictions, and in managerial affairs, and in sacrificial rites, so they prepared in advance for the collection of mistletoe. The priests believed that mistletoe drugs would neutralize any known poison. Love for this magical plant, by the way, has survived to this day; Europeans decorate their homes for Christmas with wreaths of mistletoe leaves.

The Celts at one time occupied a colossal territory, according to by and large- all modern and well-known to tourists Western Europe. It was they who laid the foundation of Western European civilization. Like any self-respecting pagans, each separate settlement needed its own priest, able to talk with the gods without much difficulty. But in addition to communicating with higher powers, the druids were also required to record heroic deeds Celts, preferably in poetic form, so only poets were taken to the druids - otherwise nothing would have happened. Those distant times The "position" of the druid was considered extremely honorable, which is not surprising. Both petty rulers and kings turned to the priests for advice, they were also exempted from military service and paying taxes.

True, for example, among the Irish, the druids quickly lost their poetic abilities and turned into an analogue of modern village healers, but the Gauls - the ancestors of the current French - treated their priests much more reverently, elevating their wise elders almost to the category of demigods, or, at least , heavenly messengers. Remember at least the famous stories about Asterix and Obelix - the ancestors of the French treated their "wizards" extremely respectfully. The Gauls even had holidays dedicated to the Druids - Samhain and Beltane. Under the leadership of the priests, the residents of all nearby settlements took part in the celebrations. It was believed that during the days of these holidays the line between the worlds became thinner, and messengers from other worlds could come to visit.

As for the horoscope itself, the Druids drew inspiration for its creation again from trees. According to their science, the date of birth of each person is associated with a particular plant. Great importance the Druids at the same time gave the winter and summer opposition of the Sun, the spring and summer equinoxes. Actually, the position of the Sun relative to the Earth is the basis of their horoscope. In accordance with it, the fate of a person, his future, character and abilities depend on the removal of the Sun from the Earth on the day of his birth. Therefore, each sign of the druid horoscope has two periods of validity.

Druids believed that in order to change your destiny for the better, you need to establish a connection with your tree: communicate with it with the help of touch. It was believed that in bad times a person should go to the forest or garden, find a tree corresponding to the date of birth, and talk to it, lean against its trunk and physically imagine how the energy of the tree flows into his body. After that, it was supposed to bow to the tree, thank it and finally decorate it with a ribbon.

This is how the horoscope of the Druids looks like (in parentheses are the periods in which this tree rules). It was believed that the tree provides the greatest magical power and, as a result, the greatest help to its person during periods of its supremacy.

Apple tree(June 25 - July 4, December 22 - January 1)
Fir(July 5 - July 14, January 2 - January 11)
Elm(July 6 - July 25, January 12 - February 24)
Cypress(July 26 - August 4, January 25 - February 3)
Poplar(5 August - 13 August, 4 February - 8 February)
Cedar(August 14 - August 23, February 9 - February 18)
Pine(August 24 - September 2, February 19 - February 28/29)
Willow(September 3 - September 12, March 1 - March 10)

Druids lived in ancient Britain and France, their activities were very diverse. As Barry Cunliff writes in his book Druids: A Very Short Introduction, they were "philosophers, teachers, judges, guardians of folk wisdom about nature and human traditions, as well as intermediaries between people and gods. He notes that, oddly enough, the ancient texts do not directly name them as priests.

Almost everything we know about druids is second-hand knowledge. The surviving texts that mention them were written by detractors, which creates problems for modern historians trying to understand who they are and how their role has changed over time. Indeed, having conquered Gaul, is one of the main sources of information about the Druids. For example, from his writings we know that the Druids preferred not to write down their texts, but to memorize them.

Regardless of who exactly the druids were, it is clear that this is some kind of revered caste. Druids can be found in Britain and Gaul (modern France), as well as other parts of Europe and perhaps even the Middle East. The writer Dio Chrysostom, who lived about 1900 years ago, compared the druids with the magi and brahmins of India. “The Celts revered what they call the Druids, and they also worshiped the art of prophecy and wisdom in general,” he wrote. Also, ancient sources hint that the druids had great power.

When did the druids appear?

When the era of the druids begins is unknown. Cunliffe, emeritus professor of European archeology at the University of Oxford, notes that the earliest written reference is about 2,400 years ago. But of course the druids arose much earlier, and it is not known how much. The ancient druidic tradition disappeared about 1200 years ago, gradually supplanted. There is a modern druid revival movement, but Cunliffe, along with other scholars, is careful to point out that the gap between the disappearance of the ancient druids and the emergence of this modern group spans over a millennium.

Today, the Druidic tradition is often associated with Stonehenge. However, the main part of Stonehenge was built 4000-5000 years ago, while the earliest written mention of the Druids appeared about 2400 years ago. Once again, we are faced with a gap in time, and it also remains an open question whether the druids existed when Stonehenge was built, and if so, in what form.

In one passage, Pliny the Elder (who lived almost 2,000 years ago) talks about the meaning of mistletoe and the sixth day of the moon: the collection of mistletoe was accompanied by religious rites and took place on the sixth lunar day. He also speaks of the importance of the animals: “[They] bring two white bulls there, the horns of which are tied for the first time. A priest dressed in white climbs a tree and cuts the mistletoe with a golden sickle. She falls into the white cloak the others are holding. Then, with prayers, they sacrifice bulls,” writes Pliny the Elder. It was also believed that a drink made from mistletoe would cure livestock from infertility and save them from all poisons.

How widespread is the Druid religion?

The prevalence of druids in the ancient world is also a mystery. They undoubtedly flourished in the British Isles and Gaul. Julius Caesar claimed that the religion of the Druids originated in Britain and from there migrated to Gaul; and now those who want to study the topic in more depth usually go to Britain.

It is not known whether Britain is indeed the home of the druids. There is evidence that the traces of the druids are recorded much further. Often associated with a people known as the Celts, their settlements have been found in the east, for example, in the territory of modern Turkey. In addition, Celtic mercenaries served in Egypt (during the reign of Cleopatra VII) and even in Judea.

Did the Druids use human sacrifice?

It is often said today that the Druids practiced human sacrifice. This information is most likely inaccurate. Ancient sources indicate that the Druids existed alongside several other castes who also served as clergy. Their identity and role changed depending on culture and time.

A man named Diodorus Siculus, who lived more than 2,000 years ago, wrote that although the druids were present at human sacrifices, another group called the "vats" performed the rite itself.

How widespread human sacrifice is in cultures with a druidic religion is another mystery. It is important to note that most of the surviving written sources are written by Roman writers who may have had a negative attitude towards the druids and the communities in which they served.

For example, in the year 60, the Druids joined the rebellion against the Romans on the island of Mona (modern Anglesey) in Wales. Cornelius Tacitus reports that after the Romans defeated the rebels, they found much evidence of human sacrifice, which may have been exaggerated to cast the Druids in a negative light.

“Afterward, the conquered were garrisoned, and their sacred groves for inhuman superstitious rites were destroyed. They believed that it was really piety to water the sacrificial altars with the blood of captives and ask for advice from their deities through human entrails,” wrote Tacitus.

Sunset of the Druids

As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the Druidic religion gradually disappeared. Cunliffe notes that in the 8th century there were still druids in Ireland, but they were very few.

“All the druids were now doing was making love potions and casting spells, nothing more,” writes Cunliffe. “The mood is reflected in one hymn of the 8th century, where it is sung about a request to God to protect women, blacksmiths and druids from spells!”

Druids as a religion disappeared in the Middle Ages, but have been revived in our time, although about a thousand years have passed since their ancient culture died out.

Druids

DRUID-ov; pl.[Celtic] Cultists, soothsayers, healers among the ancient Celts (carried out judicial functions, were advisers to leaders, keepers of legends).

◁ Druid, -a; m.

(lat. druides), priests of the ancient Celts; were in charge of sacrifices, also performed judicial functions, were doctors, teachers, soothsayers.

DRUIDS (lat. druides from the Celtic druidae, Old Irish druid), social group, formed by learned priests, interpreters of laws in Celtic Britain and in Gaul. The earliest evidence of their existence dates back to the 3rd century BC. BC e.
The priestly estate of the Druids was a closed aristocratic corporation, which was engaged not only in religious cults, but also enjoyed great political influence, much more than a layer of riders (cm. RIDERS). This institution was common to the Celts, known in the British Isles and Gaul, and, obviously, had during certain period influence in Central Europe; only in Spain and northern Italy there are no written records or archaeological data about him. Caesar's opinion (cm. CAESAR Gaius Julius) that this institution arose originally in the British Isles is only his personal conjecture. Ancient sources (Caesar, Pliny (cm. Pliny the Elder)) attribute to the druids a very extensive field of activity, but at present it is difficult to verify how true this was. Among the druids were soothsayers, sorcerers and bards (cm. BARDS).
What was the essence of their teachings, philosophical and religious beliefs we only partially know. They believed in the immortality of the soul, death, according to their ideas, did not mean the end, but only the middle of a long life. Sacred oak groves were under their patronage, and their very name allegedly arose from the word "oak" ("dris"). Sacrifices (for example, white bulls) were not offered without a branch of this tree, since they considered everything growing on the tree a gift from heaven, and the actions taken in connection with this were the instructions of the gods. The lunar emblems were also highly respected, since the Gauls calculated time not by days, but by nights, and made sacred sacrifices at night by the light of the moon. In addition to performing sacrifices, sometimes allegedly human, the Druids predicted the future; they exerted pressure through unfavorable predictions and determined what time is more suitable for a decision important issues- this allowed them to stay at the top of the hierarchical pyramid. The Celts clearly perceived the supernatural as the main, basic side of their life, and the other world as prevailing.
The Druids were also entrusted with the education of boys, from whom worthy ones were chosen to replenish their own ranks. The training lasted about twenty years and consisted in learning by heart the secrets age-old wisdom and knowledge of the druids. They did not use writing and left a negligible number of written monuments: all learning was done orally.
In more late period the druids were no longer such a closed caste, nor a purely priestly corporation. At the beginning of the Roman occupation, Druidism was still in full bloom, later it declined. The Druids fought against Romanization, participated in uprisings, and therefore the Roman authorities were especially interested in eliminating this institution. This institution lasted especially long in Ireland. The successors of the Druids there were the Philides (cm. PHILIDS).
Druid Religion
The basic propositions about God can be found in the triads of the Irish bards. They postulate the main provisions of the Celtic worldview:
There are three primary unities, and each of them is possible only as one: one God, one Truth and one point of Freedom, i.e. point of balance of all opposites in the world. The symbol of this balance was the so-called swinging stones, which, with a huge weight, could be moved by a simple touch of the hands.
Three things spring from three primary unities: all Life, all Good, all Power.
God is necessarily threefold: He composes most Life, the greater part of Knowledge, the greater part of Power, and there cannot be more of this greater part of every thing in it.
God's three greatnesses: perfect Life, perfect Knowledge, perfect Power.
Three things will surely prevail: the highest Power, the highest Reason, supreme love God.
Three guarantees of what God does and will do: His infinite Power, His infinite Wisdom, His infinite Love, for there is nothing that cannot be accomplished and become true without it.
Three things that God cannot but be: that in which the perfect Good must be; that which should desire the perfect Good; and what the perfect Good must accomplish.
Three things that God cannot fail to do: the most useful, the most necessary, the most beautiful for every thing.
The three main goals of the activity of the Divine as the creator of every thing are: to reduce evil, to increase good, to make clear any difference in such a way as to make it possible to know what should be and what should not be.
Three of God's necessities: to be infinite in oneself, to be finite in relation to the finite, to be in harmony with all that exists.
Three circles of being: the circle of emptiness (Annun), where apart from God there is nothing either living or dead, and no one except God can pass through it; the circle of reincarnation (Abred), where every spiritualized being is born by death, and a person goes through it; circle of bliss (Gwynfid).
Three things are intensified every day due to the growing desire for them: Knowledge, Love, Justice.
Three things are constantly decreasing: Gloom, Delusion, Death.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

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See what "druids" are in other dictionaries:

DRUID- (lat. Celt. druides, from Irish draio, draiodh, druidh). The priests of the ancient Celtic peoples in Gaul and Britain, who kept their science a secret from the people. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. Ancient DRUIDS ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Ancient authors called philosophers and prophets, magicians and healers druids- powerful owners of secret knowledge, who for many centuries ruled sovereignly in the endless forests of Europe. And this is quite fair, because the druids are not just "tree sorcerers" who own the secrets healing powers plants.

Their teaching is a unique mixture of natural philosophy, magic and religion. And the magical systems created by these priests are so unique that humanity still continues to think about them.

Around 400 BC took place great battle Trees - so says the ancient Celtic legend. This date has long been considered the year of the appearance of the greatest magicians of mankind - the druids. The word "druid" in the Celtic languages ​​means "man of the oak." The root "dru" corresponds to the word "oak" - the most revered tree among the Celts, which they called "the king of everything."

“There is nothing more sacred to the Druids than the mistletoe and the oak on which it grows. Only for this reason they choose oak forests and do not perform any ritual without the foliage of this tree ... They really believe that everything that grows on oak is sent by heaven and means that this tree was chosen by God himself ... " Pliny wrote in his Natural History.

Celtic druids were experts in the vast virgin forest, its properties and possibilities. They believed that trees connected heaven and earth. According to them, the leaves and branches "caught" the energy of the sun and transported it down the trunk to the roots. Reverence for this form of life even led the Celtic people, referring to the clergy, to use the term: "people-trees."

The Druids, possessing vast knowledge in all spheres of human activity, were of paramount importance in the life of the Celts. Healers, scientists, judges - for mere mortals they were "intermediaries between people and gods." The druids kept everyone under their control, including kings, and enjoyed unlimited power.

Here is what Diodorus Siculus wrote about the Druids: “The Druids are wise and are the supreme power in Celtia. All state affairs are necessarily managed with their participation, and they rule with an iron hand. The priests retain their full authority through their supernatural prescriptions.

Initially, hermits-sorcerers were called druids, whose public duty was to take care of the spiritual values ​​​​of the Celtic communities. The Celts - a group of original tribes - for several centuries owned almost half of the then known world. They were people with a romantic and superstitious soul, fearless and skillful.

The ancient Roman historian Polybius wrote about the Celts: “These are tall and hardy people, beautiful and blue-eyed ... They strive to develop culture and establish centers for education in their cities. They are born riders, brave, loyal and strong.”

In the first half last millennium BC. in the territory north of the Alps, the Celtic tribes were the first to stand out from the mass of nameless primitive peoples. The initial pages of the written history of the Celts were marked by devastating raids on the richest centers of that time. The educated southern, in particular the Greek and Roman, world was stunned by the courage and courage of the Celts.

Therefore, already in the IV century. The Celts, whom the Romans called "Gauls", were considered one of the largest barbarian peoples of the then world, along with the Persians and Scythians. This people did not achieve complete ethnic unity and did not create a single state formation - a power that would unite various tribes into an organized whole.

But he created unique culture, one of the most important components of which was the special knowledge of the priestly class - the teachings of the wise druids.

The main aspect of this teaching is the belief in the immortality of the soul. Diodorus Siculus argued that the teachings of Pythagoras were widespread among the Druids, according to which the souls of people are immortal and capable of gaining life in another body. The Druids did their best to strengthen this conviction in their fellow tribesmen. They believed that such a belief would remove the fear of death and inspire courage in the warriors.

The main subject of concern for the Druids were the spiritual values ​​of the Celtic people: rituals, sacrifices, healing, prediction of the future, oral preservation of legends. It can be said that the community made the hermits responsible for all the main sign systems of their existence: the druids had to follow the systems of measures and weights, divination and omens, the calendar, rituals and signs.

Each druid was a member of a peculiar order of initiates, headed by a priest who enjoyed the greatest authority among his brethren. The arch druids made up the top of the entire class of hermit priests.

They were prohibited from doing physical labor the community provided them with everything they needed. They lived in sacred oak groves, and caves served as their dwelling. Druids were not supposed to own any property.

It was customary for the Druids to unite in friendly alliances (geteria) in order to jointly comprehend the secrets of mastery. Druids oversaw the correctness of public sacrifices and interpreted all matters related to religion. Diodorus Siculus testified that the Celts made sacrifices only with the participation of the Druids.

It was simply necessary to resort to the mediation of the druids, since the Celts believed that they knew the disposition of the gods and were able to speak their language. The presence of the druid gave hope that the sacrifices of thanksgiving would be accepted favorably and would allow them to achieve the highest mercy. Before the Christianization of the Celtic peoples, their traditional royal sacrifice consisted of the ritual "mating" of a druid with a horse, after which the animal was sacrificed.

There were also frequent human casualties. Usually criminals and prisoners of war were sacrificed, but when there were none, fellow tribesmen were also killed. The unfortunate were burned, killed with arrows or stabbed to death with a sword. This left an indelible impression, forced to obey the will of the priests undividedly.

Blood sacrifices, the performance of which was one of the main functions of the Druids, were incompatible not only with the Roman ideas about worship, but also with the Christian cult that replaced them. Therefore, already in the middle of the IV century. n e. Bishops and presbyters of Spain, Gaul and Britain began to forbid the Celts converted to Christianity to carry out traditional sacrifices.

But as we have already said, not a single rite could do without the participation of a druid in the life of a Celt: from the birth of a person to his burial. Even the names of born babies were given by hermit sages (they also named rivers, lakes, cities and even trees).

The rite of naming the baby was accompanied by a prediction of his future. Depending on the prospects that opened up, the druid imposed prohibitions on the life of the baby, designed to correct unfavorable omens. Ritual taboos - geys - had the right to impose only the druids. They skillfully manipulated prohibitions in order to subordinate the lives of their fellow tribesmen to a whole system of strict rules.

For example, it was predicted to someone that he would die in a fight with a dog. It is clear that such a person avoided meeting with a forbidden animal all his life. It happened that a person all his adult life avoided traveling in a wagon or fording a river.

Along with the Druids, the Gallic tribes had two more groups of people who enjoyed special respect in society: bards and soothsayers. Bards were singers and poets who glorified deeds famous husbands; soothsayers were in charge of sacred rites and studied the nature of the divine.

But the druids, according to Ammianus Marcellinus, excelled everyone in education and penetration into the secrets of the universe. Here is what Posidonius wrote about this: "Druids are recognized as the most honored among other priests and having great authority in matters of peace and war."

Indeed, the Celtic hermits, experienced in the art of "divination and all other wisdom," had a huge impact on the political life of Gaul, in particular on the institution royalty. Often they not only ritually sanctioned the choice of a new king, but also nominated candidates for the royal position themselves.

At the Irish royal court, the Druids were surrounded by the greatest honor. An old Irish geis forbade the king to speak before the druid had spoken. Without the advice of the druids, the rulers did not dare to make any important decision. Therefore, it was the Druids who were the true rulers of the countries of Celtia, and the kings who sat on luxurious thrones were only executors of their will.

Druids often played the role of ambassadors and conducted the foreign affairs of their tribes and communities. So, a contemporary of Caesar, the druid Divitiak, asked for help from the Roman Senate in the war against the Sequani, the allies of the Germans. Usually the druids did not take part in the war (they were generally exempt from all services and duties). Their main functions in the war were reduced to divination about the outcome of battles and the use of so-called combat magic: protective - for their tribe and harmful - for opponents.

There is documentary evidence that the druids prevented war more than once simply by walking between two standing each against a friend with armies and whispering spells. One of the most effective means in the arsenal of the druid was considered a curse that the sorcerer sent to the enemies before the decisive battle: "I will curse the enemies and begin to blaspheme and defame, I will take away their stamina in battle with my power."

However, one should not imagine the druids solely as weak, handsome old men who did not hold anything heavier than a ritual rod in their hands. Many druids who fell into the annals of history became famous as brave warriors who led squads and entire squads.

Druids were the main arbiters human destinies among the Celtic tribes and in peacetime. The people considered the priests to be the fairest and wisest of people, therefore they were entrusted with the consideration of all disputes that arose. Whether a petty crime or murder was committed, whether there was a lawsuit about an inheritance - the decision on all these issues was made by the druids.

In resolving disputes, the priests mainly relied on three things: the "cauldron of truth", wood, and touching the altar. A cauldron of truth was a silver or golden vessel, which, it was believed, made it possible to distinguish truth from lies.

It was filled with boiling water and the defendant's hand was immersed in it. If he was guilty, the hand turned out to be scalded, but if there was no guilt on him, then the boiling water did not cause him any harm. One could swear that one's words were right by touching a tree or an altar. According to the sounds or other signs emanating from these objects, knowledgeable druids judged the innocence or guilt of the defendant.

The druids were also famous as excellent healers. There were legends that they had the ability to recognize a person’s illness by the smoke that flowed from his dwelling alone. Only to them, the priests claimed, were known healing properties 350 plants: trees, shrubs and herbs.

During the year, the students of the Druids got acquainted with a new healing plant every day of the lunar month. They sought to recognize the healing properties of the plant, to master various methods of collecting, drying, decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs. It is believed that the Druids received their famous elixir of oblivion exclusively on the basis of plants.

In total, the druids practiced three archaic types of healing - fire, iron and medicine - without fail accompanying healing procedures with conspiracies and witchcraft. Just like many other healers of antiquity, the Druids resorted to healing with the help of sleep caused by special music.

The druids also mastered the art of divination. Most often, community members were interested in the prospects for the development of events on the eve of the war, their own fate and forecasts about who would become the next king. The best way to predict the outcome of the battle among the Druids was considered fire from rowan wood: if the flame of the fire turned towards one of the troops participating in the battle, he should hastily retreat.

Druids were also able to recognize the future by signs and omens associated with the animal world. It was believed, for example, that the flight and cries of birds have a foreshadowing character. The Druids were also credited with the ability to cast spells on the waters and “bind” them so that reservoirs were shallow everywhere, springs dried up, wells dried up.

Other craftsmen, on the contrary, could “untie” the waters: with a blow of the tip of the spear, they brought underground sources to the surface and filled the reservoirs with life-giving moisture. Among the stories of powerful druids commanding the elements, a special place is occupied by legends about their dominance over the winds. This art was used by druids, for example, to try to prevent the approach of enemy troops.

Struck by a terrible spell - "the breath of the druids" - the enemy soldiers ceased to distinguish their own from strangers and could kill each other in blindness.

It was not customary for the Druids, the keepers and interpreters of ancient wisdom, to write down whatever knowledge they possessed. Sacred mysteries of dendrology, astrology, nature and human life The sages have passed it down by word of mouth for centuries. Their secret knowledge they revealed to the disciples far from people, in the depths of caves and forests.

Hermits told a lot about the luminaries and their movement, about the world, about nature, about the power and power of the gods. The Druids were known throughout Europe for their schools and universities. Tara in Ireland, and Oxford, Anglesey, and Iona were considered the best among these schools. Only the most capable young people, mainly from the upper classes, could receive education in such institutions.

"Druids have great power education,” Caesar wrote. - One who has not received an education is not allowed to conduct any public activities. All people of the upper class seek to send their children into training and show a desire to keep them in the order. Universities are like monasteries.

The youth taught by the druids are taken to the most secluded places, to caves, forests, or rocky ravines. The full term for obtaining a completed education is at least twenty years. Young druids are trained in individual or general programs, but, regardless of this, each must learn about twenty thousand verses.

Since the Druids never wrote down the secrets of their wisdom, they left a negligible amount of written records, most of which belong to Ireland. In this country, druidism - the original religion of the Celts - persisted for a particularly long time, until modern times. In the rest of the territory, the teachings of the Druids existed only until the beginning of the Roman occupation.

The Druids fought in every possible way against Romanization, and therefore the Roman authorities were especially interested in eliminating the Celtic sages. There is also an assumption that the Druids disappeared not so much under the pressure of the Roman administration or Christian religion, how many as a result of deforestation of Western European virgin forests, which served for many centuries as a haven for druids.

The caste system was characteristic of most early civilizations. And not rulers or warriors, as some mistakenly think, but it was the priests who stood at the head of such societies. They determined the direction of development, established laws, were the guardians of traditions and spiritual leaders. IN ancient india they are Brahmins, they are magi, and they are ancient European civilization, such priests were the druids.

Not every Celt could become a druid. This title was not hereditary. The priests, carefully watching the younger generation, singled out the most capable boys who had many years of training before they could enter the circle of priests. Signs helped determine who was worthy of becoming a student of the druids. Also taken into account were spiritual qualities candidate. It was believed that only the noble and pure in heart a person is worthy to join great knowledge: he will not be able to distort it or use it for selfish purposes.

Druids passed their knowledge from mouth to mouth. Although they had a written language, the ancient wisdom was not written down. Encrypted in songs, it was passed from senior priests to students, and the uninitiated did not have access to the secret.

The druids had a certain hierarchy, and it was possible to become a priest only after passing all the stages of initiation. It was long and complicated. According to some sources, a priest had to train for at least 20 years before he received the rank of druid.

Bards

At first, students learned to listen to rhythms and nature, studied the forms and. They mastered the magic of sound, the power to remain silent and the power of . Having comprehended these wisdoms to the full, they received the title of a bard. Bards studied ancient Celtic songs and legends, glorified the gods and raised the military spirit of those who fought during military campaigns. They wore clothes blue color which symbolizes harmony.

Ovates

The next stage of priestly education was the knowledge of the secrets of nature, mastering the techniques of healing and gaining power over the mental plane of being. With the power of thought, they could stop a warrior and kindle a sacred fire. They mastered predictions of the future by signs known and understood only by them. Such disciples were called ovats and wore green clothes, which symbolized knowledge.

Actually, druids were those who rose to the highest level in mastering the priestly sciences. Possessing the knowledge and skills of the ovates and bards, the druids continued to study the secrets of nature, analyze this knowledge and apply it to serve their people. They were confidants, mentors and advisers to and commanders of armies. The legendary Merlin, teacher and mentor of King Arthur, was also none other than a druid.

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Druids are the priests of the Celtic tribes, their magic was closely associated with trees. They were also royal advisers, medicine men, scholars, judges and mediators between god and people. The staff played an important role for the druids. He was not just a cane that served as a support for a person, but a magical object, a symbol meaning power and strength.

What material was the staff made from?

The staff was an essential attribute for the magician. The rod helped him and increased his spiritual power. Certain spells were invested in this item. The druid determined the wood he liked and made the staff himself.

The material for the creation of the staff were trees of various species: ash, hazel, oak, elder and others. Hardwood trees were more suitable for this purpose. The magical properties of the staff depended on the wood material.

Witchcraft was attributed to ash, since ancient times it has been used for divination and magic. The cane made of ash was compared to the wand of the sun god. The main god Odin had a spear made from this light wood. It is able to drive away dark forces, the ash support was considered magical, helped well in the treatment and was used for general and solar magic.

Oak is the king among trees, it was considered sacred by many peoples, it was a symbol of longevity, a huge life force and wisdom. The branches of this tree served as raw materials for the creation of a magical staff.

Hazel (hazel) was also considered a tree of wisdom and magic. A wand from it was used as a magical protection against evil spirits. Hazel is also considered as a symbol of justice.

Pine is considered a tree of knowledge, mountain ash serves as protection for the house, yew is associated with eternal life, elderberry - good remedy from witchcraft and evil. Alder is a tree that protects the family.

How to make a wand

The basis for the staff was a small solid tree or a branch of a large one. He had to ask permission to sacrifice his life and become an assistant to the druid. The tree was cut with a feeling of regret and with the certainty that the need for it was worth it. When a branch was needed, the tree was asked for permission to cut it. Only having received consent, a tree or a branch was cut down, gifts were brought to it or the earth in the form of grain, semi-precious stones or beer.

The staff should have a comfortable weight, length and shape. Priests could put symbols on it or leave it clean. After cutting down a tree or cutting off a branch, it was necessary to immediately begin processing the tree. The bark was peeled off with a knife, then the staff was polished, it was hung out in a dark, ventilated room to dry for three months.

The staff was decorated with carvings or runes and other writings were burned on it. A stone was inserted into the head of the staff, which possessed strength and helped the druids. They necessarily gave the staff a name, as they considered it alive and therefore addressed it by name.

The staff told the priest how best to proceed specific person or how to act for the common good.

The Holy Grail is a symbol of prosperity, endless life and prosperity. Items similar to him in magical properties exist in mythology various peoples.

The symbol of the Holy Grail exists among many, but the legends about it vary. Common to all is the Grail. This cup is immortality, a continuous source of life, fertility and abundance. Its owner gains infinite life and gets everything he wants. He who drinks from the Grail is cured of all diseases. He even has the ability to resurrect.

Grail in Christian tradition

According to Christian legend, the Grail was made by angels from an emerald that fell from the forehead of Lucifer, who was expelled from heaven. It is believed that Adam received the Grail, but left him in Eden after the exile. Loss of the Grail, loss of true spirituality, internal integrity, purity and innocence. It is believed that the one who found in the center Garden of Eden the cup will atone for human sin and restore paradise.

The Holy Grail is also interpreted as a cup from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper, and after Joseph of Arimathea collected the blood of the crucified Christ into it. Later, the Jew brought the bowl to England, where he hid it on a hillside. Believing in the legend and miraculous properties of the bowl, many adventurers go to its possible location. For some, the Grail is a search eternal life, for someone - the meaning of existence.

Legacy of the ancient religion of the Celts

The prototype of the Holy Grail is the magical cauldron of the Celtic god Dagda, the "Good God", who was the patron of the earth. The cauldron was called inexhaustible and satisfied the hunger of all the suffering.

Also among the Celts, the symbol of supreme power was a cup filled with wine, beer or honey, which a young girl brings to the king who takes the throne. Later, this meaning is transferred to the Grail, in search of which they spend long years knights Round Table. According to legend, only the most worthy, with pure thoughts and heart, could find it.

There is also, similar to the Holy Grail - this is the Horn of Plenty. The myth says that this horn belonged to a goat named Amalthea, whose milk Zeus drank while hiding with his mother Rhea on the island of Crete from his terrible father Cronus. Zeus the Almighty later gave the horn the magical property of endowing the wearer with everything one could wish for.

At the time when the Druids ruled over the Celts in Britain, their magical object was a cauldron. They believed that the cauldron could resurrect the dead, give divine illumination, was inexhaustible source food.

The mystery of the Holy Grail will always remain shrouded in speculation and will forever excite the imagination of adventurers and explorers.

The custom of decorating a Christmas tree is rooted in ancient times. There was such a custom among the ancient Celts, and carried this ritual sacred meaning. How to decorate a Christmas tree according to the doctrine of the druids?

Instruction

Even in ancient times, in order to propitiate the sacred spirits of the forest, the Druids decorated the growing Christmas trees with all kinds of gifts. By the way, the statement that the druids dressed up on New Year any trees are a modern invention, as well as the fact that Stonehenge is a druidic sanctuary. By the way, this round stone structure was considered by the Druids as a cursed place and lair. dark forces.

First tier

At the very top, a totem of a clan or a druid clan was erected, in the form of a head of an animal or a bird. But most often, the Christmas tree was decorated with deer antlers, as the main totem, symbolizing the spirit of all nature as a whole.
Over time, the totem was replaced by the druidic five-pointed star, or the octogram - the cross-shooter. These symbols were designed to protect the clan and home, and they also served as amulets against dark and evil forces.

Second tier

The next, from top to bottom, tier should be decorated with three candles at an equal distance from each other. Candles are symbols corresponding to Knowledge, Nature and Truth. These symbols are discussed in one of the Celtic ancient triads “There are three candles that will disperse any darkness ...”

Third tier

The third tier was decorated with hexagons in the form of transparent cubes made of thin sticks with a bottom. The length of the face was approximately 25 cm. They were hung at an equal distance from each other and symbolized the elements subject to the druids. In the "cube" of the element of water there was a small bowl with water, of fire - a lit candle, of earth - a handful of black earth or sand, and only the "cube" of the element of air was empty.

fourth tier

The fourth tier was richly decorated with the fruits of nature - apples, nuts, bunches of dried berries. Bubbles with different wines were hung on the branches. Wines were a very expensive drink, since the Druids themselves did not make wine, but bought it or bartered it from other peoples. Thus, the Druids brought gifts to their patron spirits.

Fifth tier

On the fifth tier there were numerous magic symbols of the druids, as a rule - carved from soft woods.
The most popular were:
The thumb (human) - it symbolized the gift of foresight, the butterfly - the heat of the sun, the Celtic hatchet (a miniature wooden copy of Celtic weapons) - a symbol of blessed rain, intricate rope knots - symbols of longevity, as well as an incredible number of amulets carved with famous Celtic ornaments for all occasions life.

Sixth tier

The sixth, the lowest, tier was decorated with zodiacal signs - symbols of constellations, or dry twigs tied into bunches of plants-symbols. If the celebration was in a narrow circle, then only those symbols were used that corresponded to the birthdays of those who were present in the house.

Dates . Signs. Trees

March 15 - March 24 King. Elder
March 25 - April 4 Princess in chains. Pear
5.04 - 14.04 Queen. Elm
15.04 - 24.04 Triangle. Oak
25.04 - 4.05 The river of life. Linden
5.05 - 15.05 Solar Hero. Fir
16.05 - 25.05 Hare. Beech
May 26 - June 5 Hunter. Cherry
6.06 - 15.06 Charioteer. mistletoe
16.06 - 25.06 Teddy bear. Spruce
26.06 - 5.07 Big dog. figs
6.07 - 16.07 Ursa Major. Chestnut
17.07 - 26.07 Puppy. Nut
27.07 - 6.08 Hydra. Willow
7.08 - 17.08 Ship. Yew
18.08 - 27.08 Boiler. Rowan
08.28 - 09.06 Centaur. Quince
09/07 - 09/17 Raven. Juniper
18.09 - 27.09 Bootes. Elm
28.09 - 7.10 Earth Hero. Poplar
8.10 - 17.10 The crown of the Hyperboreans. Hazelnut
10/18 - 10/27 Serpent. Birch
28.10 - 6.11 Dragon. Dogwood
7.11 - 16.11 Wolf. Alder
11/17 - 11/26 Serpent Man. Pine
27.11 - 6.12 Altar. boxwood
7.12 - 16.12 Southern Crown. Hawthorn
17.12 - 26.12 Lira. Hornbeam
27.12 - 5.01 Eagle. Ash
6.01 - 14.01 Arrow. Plum
15.01 - 24.01 Swan. Apple tree
25.01 - 3.02 Dolphin. Larch
04.02 - 13.02 Southern Fish. Maple
14.02 - 23.02 Foal. Cypress
24.02 - 4.03 Winged Horse. medlar
5.03 - 14.03 China. wild chestnut

The meanings of these symbols can be easily found in numerous publications on the Internet.

Decorating the Christmas tree "druidically" is an exciting and educational activity that will bring a lot of pleasure and unforgettable impressions of the New Year.
It is noteworthy that the Druids tried to keep fresh needles in their homes all year round. This contributed to a good healthy sleep, a quick recovery in case of illness and - an unconditional cure for headaches, which was confirmed by modern medicine.

Related videos

Sources:

• Druid Horoscope.// Stars and Fates
• Uranov V. Astrology of tree signs
• Lee Shingo. The Enchanted World of the Druids
• Akhramovich V. What kind of tree are you? // Science and religion. - 1991.- №10
• Paterson H. Celtic astrology. 13 character lunar zodiac ancient druids / Per. from English. O. O. Chistyakova - M.; Kyiv: REFL-book; Wackler, 1996

Features of the religion of the Celts

In the cultural life of the Celtic society important role played by priests - druids. They were a fairly closed community that had serious political and religious influence. It is believed that the Druids came from an ancient family of aristocrats, called horsemen. The power of the priests extended to many aspects of society.

The functions included the management of religious ceremonies and rituals. The priests were responsible for the upbringing of the younger generation. For a long time, there was a religious ban on writing among the Celts, so information was usually distributed in the form of legends transmitted from person to person. Most often, tales took the form of the ancients and legends about fairy creatures endowed with supernatural power. With great respect, the Celts treated the forces of nature, which they deified.

The Art of the Ancient Celts

The heritage of the Celts in the field of art cannot be called numerous. In more or less good condition items made of bronze, gold and silver have reached the present day. But objects made of wood and leather have been preserved only partially, as they have been greatly destroyed by time. But even the objects of artistic culture that have come down to modern times very well reflect the life of the barbarian tribe of the Celts.

By my roots art culture Celts goes into the idea of ​​the complete dependence of man on the forces of nature. The decorations are dominated by broken forms, consisting of geometric shapes: circles, rhombuses, curls. Similar motives, supplemented floral ornament, characteristic of pottery. On the dishes of the Celts, you can find decorations in the form of palm leaves and lotus, which indicates the connection of the tribes with the southern regions.

The Celts richly decorated their weapons and sword scabbards using engraving and stamping. In a later period, when designing weapons, images of living creatures began to be used: a lion, a deer, a horse or a fabulous sphinx. By the 4th century BC new era images of a human mask began to appear on the utensils, which was crowned with an element that looked like a crown.

Celts - people of megaliths

Religious ideas and superstitions of the Celts, who were under the influence of the Druid priests, were reflected in the rites that are directly related to the burial of the dead. After the Celts, numerous megalithic structures remained, which were burial places. Scattered throughout Europe, such structures looked like majestic barrows and dolmens. Only in the territory of modern France, scientists counted about three thousand dolmens, built of massive stones.

The dolmen in its appearance remotely resembles something like a house, the walls of which were stones standing straight, which were usually not processed. As a roof, the Celts used large solid stone slabs. In plan, the dolmen most often had a wedge-shaped shape. Quite often there are cromlechs - circles of free-standing massive stones, in the center of which there is a dolmen.