Post by Senbecc on May 19, 2006 1:31:38 GMT -5
These are the tenants of Druid religion as given by Searls O'Dubhain. It must be understood that in no way is he claiming these to be ancient Druidic knowledge, but more over his understandings after a very detailed study of texts and culture.
There exists a vast amount of confusion about what Druids believed and taught in their religion. I thought I'd offer up a few thoughts and understandings from my studies to help clarify the tenets of Druid religion. Here they are as I've found them in no particular order of importance (hopefully this list will grow as discussion continues):
1. Goodness is the god of everything.
2. Love is the quality of godliness.
3. Honor is the noblest expression of action.
4. Truth is the power in all actions.
5. Spirit and truth are eternal.
6. Spirit acts through mind and nature.
7. Nature is a matter of subjective perception.
8. Perception can be altered when consciousness harnesses the power of truth
9. The unbound mind can acquire wisdom that is beyond the limits of the world.
10. Wisdom is the channel through which truth flows into the world.
11. Creativity is the wellspring of truth.
12. The parents of creativity are chaos and order.
13. Creativity is eternal though at times it yields to chaos and order.
I've tried to express these tenets in a structure of sorts. There are many other structures and trees of life that can grow from the basic principles of goodness, truth and creativity. The 13 I've named here are a glimpse into the teachings of the Druids as I've studied and understood them. Each idea is manifold and diverse in its many possibilities, meanings and expressions. This list is not the limitation of the tenets of Druid religion. It is only one person's list among many. It is a doorway into realms of wonder and wisdom. It has many brothers and sisters beyond counting.
Hopefully, some will come forth with better wisdom and tenets than I've expressed in this brief posting. I've also no doubt that at times chaos and order will attempt to prevail over its child. I am heartened that goodness is honorably expressed through truth in love. All else is subjective and transient. To seek the eternal and the ultimate in truth and wisdom is to me the ultimate task of any Druid. As such and to me, the act of seeking mirrors the processes that empower all of life, being and perception. When the wellsprings are found and the goodness experienced within them, then one honors love and the gods.
Even though these tenets are derived from what the Druids did in ancient times are new modern understandings. They represent my best understanding of such things, tempered by scholarship and my own experiences. They're understandings, not commandments.
Some of the tenets that I've listed were taken from the works of classical authors who wrote in Latin or Greek, The rest are taken primarily from Irish references that were written in Ogham, Old or Middle Irish. Some may be written in Welsh and I'll provide those where possible. When I say "classical" I primarily mean Greek and Roman historians of the Poseidonian and the Alexandrian schools. The major thrust of my studies is in Irish materials however.
I'll attempt to footnote the list of tenets I've provided with references that have inspired me or that expand on their concepts. Of course, each tenet will require a great deal of additional discussion beyond the many various sources and references as they are a compilation and synthesis from my own studies on them and not a list that was produced by another Druid or given in a single reference until now. I welcome the opportunity to discuss each tenet (as well as others that exist or can be formulated from the texts by/about them).
An understanding of the tenets would not be complete without such a discussion including sources, some knowledge of the periods in which they were written or preserved and, at times, a cross referencing to similar or comparative religions and similar tenets from associated cultures and philosophies that may have influenced them.
There are two works from Irish tradition that attempt to place dates on mythological and traditional figures in Irish pre-history. These are Keating's _History of Ireland_ (written down from collections and oral histories in the 17th century CE and the _Annals of the Four Masters_ which are a similar effort that was accomplished in 1632 CE. A good source for the texts that have been translated from scans of these documents is:
www.ucc.ie/celt/publishd.html#tfirish
Here you will also find other Irish Annals and historical writings.
For a modern reading list, I recommend looking on TopazOwl's grove site:
home.twcny.rr.com/goldenhorse/booklist.html
The works she cites for beginners are:
The Golden Horse Grove's Top Five Reading Picks for Beginners
Here's Elaine Stutt's FAQ for the alt.religion.druid newsgroup which is on the Summerlands website. It contains a similar reading list:
www.summerlands.com/crossroads/library/an%20introductory%20FAQ%20to%20alt%20religion%20druid.htm
Here's a few more links to some good reading materials:
www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/folklore.html#ancient
www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/invasions.html#Real
www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/
Searles
There exists a vast amount of confusion about what Druids believed and taught in their religion. I thought I'd offer up a few thoughts and understandings from my studies to help clarify the tenets of Druid religion. Here they are as I've found them in no particular order of importance (hopefully this list will grow as discussion continues):
1. Goodness is the god of everything.
2. Love is the quality of godliness.
3. Honor is the noblest expression of action.
4. Truth is the power in all actions.
5. Spirit and truth are eternal.
6. Spirit acts through mind and nature.
7. Nature is a matter of subjective perception.
8. Perception can be altered when consciousness harnesses the power of truth
9. The unbound mind can acquire wisdom that is beyond the limits of the world.
10. Wisdom is the channel through which truth flows into the world.
11. Creativity is the wellspring of truth.
12. The parents of creativity are chaos and order.
13. Creativity is eternal though at times it yields to chaos and order.
I've tried to express these tenets in a structure of sorts. There are many other structures and trees of life that can grow from the basic principles of goodness, truth and creativity. The 13 I've named here are a glimpse into the teachings of the Druids as I've studied and understood them. Each idea is manifold and diverse in its many possibilities, meanings and expressions. This list is not the limitation of the tenets of Druid religion. It is only one person's list among many. It is a doorway into realms of wonder and wisdom. It has many brothers and sisters beyond counting.
Hopefully, some will come forth with better wisdom and tenets than I've expressed in this brief posting. I've also no doubt that at times chaos and order will attempt to prevail over its child. I am heartened that goodness is honorably expressed through truth in love. All else is subjective and transient. To seek the eternal and the ultimate in truth and wisdom is to me the ultimate task of any Druid. As such and to me, the act of seeking mirrors the processes that empower all of life, being and perception. When the wellsprings are found and the goodness experienced within them, then one honors love and the gods.
Even though these tenets are derived from what the Druids did in ancient times are new modern understandings. They represent my best understanding of such things, tempered by scholarship and my own experiences. They're understandings, not commandments.
Some of the tenets that I've listed were taken from the works of classical authors who wrote in Latin or Greek, The rest are taken primarily from Irish references that were written in Ogham, Old or Middle Irish. Some may be written in Welsh and I'll provide those where possible. When I say "classical" I primarily mean Greek and Roman historians of the Poseidonian and the Alexandrian schools. The major thrust of my studies is in Irish materials however.
I'll attempt to footnote the list of tenets I've provided with references that have inspired me or that expand on their concepts. Of course, each tenet will require a great deal of additional discussion beyond the many various sources and references as they are a compilation and synthesis from my own studies on them and not a list that was produced by another Druid or given in a single reference until now. I welcome the opportunity to discuss each tenet (as well as others that exist or can be formulated from the texts by/about them).
An understanding of the tenets would not be complete without such a discussion including sources, some knowledge of the periods in which they were written or preserved and, at times, a cross referencing to similar or comparative religions and similar tenets from associated cultures and philosophies that may have influenced them.
There are two works from Irish tradition that attempt to place dates on mythological and traditional figures in Irish pre-history. These are Keating's _History of Ireland_ (written down from collections and oral histories in the 17th century CE and the _Annals of the Four Masters_ which are a similar effort that was accomplished in 1632 CE. A good source for the texts that have been translated from scans of these documents is:
www.ucc.ie/celt/publishd.html#tfirish
Here you will also find other Irish Annals and historical writings.
For a modern reading list, I recommend looking on TopazOwl's grove site:
home.twcny.rr.com/goldenhorse/booklist.html
The works she cites for beginners are:
The Golden Horse Grove's Top Five Reading Picks for Beginners
Here's Elaine Stutt's FAQ for the alt.religion.druid newsgroup which is on the Summerlands website. It contains a similar reading list:
www.summerlands.com/crossroads/library/an%20introductory%20FAQ%20to%20alt%20religion%20druid.htm
Here's a few more links to some good reading materials:
www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/folklore.html#ancient
www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/invasions.html#Real
www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/
Searles