Druids and Druidism
The druids were the priest caste of the celtic people and their religion arose where ever the celts chose to live.
This caste were the ruling order of the tribes, their authority being even higher than that of the kings as they were the only ones who had direct communication with the gods and goddesses of celtic culture. The druids were a highly educated people and were split into several different categories: the ‘priest’ druid; the bard; the shaman and all covered different aspects of the celtic belief system.
The 'priest' druids
The ‘priest’ druids became so by either by being selected or choosing to attend the druidic colleges where they underwent 25 years of training in the various druidic lore. They would act like the backbone to the tradition making sure laws etc were followed and observed. The bards were selected due to their natural talents in the creative sphere and would learn history, religion music and the arts to spread the feelings of the gods and the celtic tradition.
The Shaman (ovate)
Whereas the shaman (ovate) would be called to the discipline through revelation, illness or near death experience, it was believed that this opened them up to the direct interaction of the otherworld. This group usually dealt with the divinatory aspects of the tradition.
As this site grows this section will be further expanded to include druid practice and lore, rituals and spells.