Post by Fool Coyote on Apr 13, 2010 10:04:24 GMT -5
Becoming and being a Druid
Since I joined this group I have been asked this question many times, both in open and in private messages. With this post I hope to clarify some of my thoughts on this issue as they have been handed down to me. Becoming and being a Druid becomes a life long quest for "Draíocht" (The Druid's art). It is the discovery, personal experience, and the illuminated knowledge of Draíocht. Aside from service to one's people (which I will get into a bit more), "Imbas/Awen" is an inner truth which firmly establishes the Druid *as* a Druid. Being a Druid involves a study of An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil, or the Truth facing the world. A Druids training is given by studying this inner truth, as well as understanding the laws of man, and nature. Lastly the training involves knowledge, respect, and honoring of the "god's" aka the ever living Sidhe. "An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil" is a study, an art in and of it's self, it is what can be discovered beyond the limits of ego, self involvement, and the illusions generated by the "onion" (looks at my sister Wren) created by reality, what is "reality" if not an onion, given to it's many layers and perceptions?
Art and personal expression was and is the art of the Druid, or the oes dána. The aspiring "Draoí" must learn what his strong points are as far as art and self expression, in ancient times the "oes dána" (or the "Learned class") who's arts included, the judge, the leech, the joiner, the metal-worker, and most important of all, the poet (fili), who seems to have inherited much of the prestige of the druid of pagan times. The oes dána, the "Druí" and the Tuatha de Danann had these things in common (see what I mean by tracing times?). The Lebor gaballa Erenn (the book of the taking of Ireland) is a manuscript recorded by the Irish filidh somewhere between the 9th and 11th century which records some of the old tales of Ireland. It shows us in histories, pseudo-histories, puns, and riddles how the ancients viewed the practice of Druidry. In the quote I am about to highlight, notice how the God Lugh asks the strengths of the hosts of the De Danann:
Then the men of rank among the Túatha Dé were assembled around Lug. He asked his smith, Goibniu, what power he wielded for them.
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Even if the men of Ireland continue the battle for seven years, for every spear that separates from its shaft or sword that will break in battle, I will provide a new weapon in its place. No spear point which my hand forges will make a missing cast. No skin which it pierces will taste life afterward. Dolb, the Fomorian smith, cannot do that. I am now concerned with my preparation for the battle of Mag Tuired.’
‘And you, Dían Cécht,’ said Lug, ‘what power do you wield?’
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Any man who will be wounded there, unless his head is cut off, or the membrane of his brain or his spinal cord is severed, I will make him perfectly whole in the battle on the next day.’
‘And you, Crédne,’ Lug said to his brazier, ‘what is your power in the battle?’
‘Not hard to answer,’ said Crédne. ‘I will supply them all with rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses and rims for their shields.’
‘And you, Luchta,’ Lug said to his carpenter, ‘what power would you attain in the battle?’
‘Not hard to answer,’ said Luchta. ‘I will supply them all with whatever shields and spearshafts they need.’
‘And you, Ogma,’ said Lug to his champion, ‘what is your power in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Being a match for the king and holding my own against twenty-seven of his friends, while winning a third of the battle for the men of Ireland.’
‘And you, Morrígan,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ she said. ‘I have stood fast; I shall pursue what was watched; I will be able to kill; I will be able to destroy those who might be subdued.’
‘And you, sorcerers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the sorcerers. ‘Their white soles will be visible after they have been overthrown by our craft, so that they can easily be killed; and we will take two-thirds of their strength from them, and prevent them from urinating.’
‘And you, cupbearers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the cupbearers. ‘We will bring a great thirst upon them, and they will not find drink to quench it.’
‘And you, druids,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the druids. ‘We will bring showers of fire upon the faces of the Fomoire so that they cannot look up, and the warriors contending with them can use their force to kill them.’
‘And you, Coirpre mac Étaíne,’ said Lug to his poet, ‘what can you do in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said Coirpre. ‘I will make a glám dícenn against them, and I will satirize them and shame them so that through the spell of my art they will offer no resistance to warriors.’
‘And you, Bé Chuille and Díanann,’ said Lug to his two witches, ‘what can you do in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ they said. ‘We will enchant the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth so that they will be a host under arms against them; and they will scatter in flight terrified and trembling.’
‘And you, Dagda,’ said Lug, ‘what power can you wield against the Fomorian host in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the Dagda. ‘I will fight for the men of Ireland with mutual smiting and destruction and wizardry. Their bones under my club will soon be as many as hailstones under the feet of herds of horses, where the double enemy meets on the battlefield of Mag Tuired.’
Then in this way Lug addressed each of them in turn concerning their arts, strengthening them and addressing them in such a way that every man had the courage of a king or great lord.
Now every day the battle was drawn up between the race of the Fomoire and the Tútha Dé Danann, but there were no kings or princes waging it, only fierce and arrogant men.
Now as I stated earlier, being a Druid is also defined by ones actions and learning in the given culture(s) they study. How can we be in reality Druids when we know it took as long as 12 to 20 years to become one in ancient times. This can be accomplished by setting up a curriculum similar to that of those of ancient times. In the Book of Ollamhan, this training was said to produce seven levels of Filidh with a curriculum that lasted for twelve years. These seven levels laid out would be "a 'Fochlac', a 'Mac Fiurmedh', a 'Doss', a 'Cana', a 'Cli', and an 'Anrad', with an 'Ollamh' as the seventh.." And with that I will outline the difference between a Druid and a Celt. To be a Druid in truth, firstly you must memorize an acceptable number of tales traditional and experiential in order to be able to advise the people of the Tuath or tribe, and have learned the skills necessary to help them in times of need. When the poet's dedication to truth has stood for years as a shining example without blemish, when he has absorbed the lore and the techniques of other Druids to the point that he is considered skilled in many of them, when he has established a connection to the Otherworld and the deities such that you can be described as one who is a master, and when his skills in leadership and communication are such that people you serve usually understand what you say and frequently follow your advice, then...You are a Druid.
Power of the Dagdha's heart be in you.
Senbecc, your resident Druid and Filidh
Since I joined this group I have been asked this question many times, both in open and in private messages. With this post I hope to clarify some of my thoughts on this issue as they have been handed down to me. Becoming and being a Druid becomes a life long quest for "Draíocht" (The Druid's art). It is the discovery, personal experience, and the illuminated knowledge of Draíocht. Aside from service to one's people (which I will get into a bit more), "Imbas/Awen" is an inner truth which firmly establishes the Druid *as* a Druid. Being a Druid involves a study of An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil, or the Truth facing the world. A Druids training is given by studying this inner truth, as well as understanding the laws of man, and nature. Lastly the training involves knowledge, respect, and honoring of the "god's" aka the ever living Sidhe. "An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil" is a study, an art in and of it's self, it is what can be discovered beyond the limits of ego, self involvement, and the illusions generated by the "onion" (looks at my sister Wren) created by reality, what is "reality" if not an onion, given to it's many layers and perceptions?
Art and personal expression was and is the art of the Druid, or the oes dána. The aspiring "Draoí" must learn what his strong points are as far as art and self expression, in ancient times the "oes dána" (or the "Learned class") who's arts included, the judge, the leech, the joiner, the metal-worker, and most important of all, the poet (fili), who seems to have inherited much of the prestige of the druid of pagan times. The oes dána, the "Druí" and the Tuatha de Danann had these things in common (see what I mean by tracing times?). The Lebor gaballa Erenn (the book of the taking of Ireland) is a manuscript recorded by the Irish filidh somewhere between the 9th and 11th century which records some of the old tales of Ireland. It shows us in histories, pseudo-histories, puns, and riddles how the ancients viewed the practice of Druidry. In the quote I am about to highlight, notice how the God Lugh asks the strengths of the hosts of the De Danann:
Then the men of rank among the Túatha Dé were assembled around Lug. He asked his smith, Goibniu, what power he wielded for them.
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Even if the men of Ireland continue the battle for seven years, for every spear that separates from its shaft or sword that will break in battle, I will provide a new weapon in its place. No spear point which my hand forges will make a missing cast. No skin which it pierces will taste life afterward. Dolb, the Fomorian smith, cannot do that. I am now concerned with my preparation for the battle of Mag Tuired.’
‘And you, Dían Cécht,’ said Lug, ‘what power do you wield?’
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Any man who will be wounded there, unless his head is cut off, or the membrane of his brain or his spinal cord is severed, I will make him perfectly whole in the battle on the next day.’
‘And you, Crédne,’ Lug said to his brazier, ‘what is your power in the battle?’
‘Not hard to answer,’ said Crédne. ‘I will supply them all with rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses and rims for their shields.’
‘And you, Luchta,’ Lug said to his carpenter, ‘what power would you attain in the battle?’
‘Not hard to answer,’ said Luchta. ‘I will supply them all with whatever shields and spearshafts they need.’
‘And you, Ogma,’ said Lug to his champion, ‘what is your power in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Being a match for the king and holding my own against twenty-seven of his friends, while winning a third of the battle for the men of Ireland.’
‘And you, Morrígan,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ she said. ‘I have stood fast; I shall pursue what was watched; I will be able to kill; I will be able to destroy those who might be subdued.’
‘And you, sorcerers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the sorcerers. ‘Their white soles will be visible after they have been overthrown by our craft, so that they can easily be killed; and we will take two-thirds of their strength from them, and prevent them from urinating.’
‘And you, cupbearers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the cupbearers. ‘We will bring a great thirst upon them, and they will not find drink to quench it.’
‘And you, druids,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the druids. ‘We will bring showers of fire upon the faces of the Fomoire so that they cannot look up, and the warriors contending with them can use their force to kill them.’
‘And you, Coirpre mac Étaíne,’ said Lug to his poet, ‘what can you do in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said Coirpre. ‘I will make a glám dícenn against them, and I will satirize them and shame them so that through the spell of my art they will offer no resistance to warriors.’
‘And you, Bé Chuille and Díanann,’ said Lug to his two witches, ‘what can you do in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ they said. ‘We will enchant the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth so that they will be a host under arms against them; and they will scatter in flight terrified and trembling.’
‘And you, Dagda,’ said Lug, ‘what power can you wield against the Fomorian host in the battle?’
‘Not hard to say,’ said the Dagda. ‘I will fight for the men of Ireland with mutual smiting and destruction and wizardry. Their bones under my club will soon be as many as hailstones under the feet of herds of horses, where the double enemy meets on the battlefield of Mag Tuired.’
Then in this way Lug addressed each of them in turn concerning their arts, strengthening them and addressing them in such a way that every man had the courage of a king or great lord.
Now every day the battle was drawn up between the race of the Fomoire and the Tútha Dé Danann, but there were no kings or princes waging it, only fierce and arrogant men.
Now as I stated earlier, being a Druid is also defined by ones actions and learning in the given culture(s) they study. How can we be in reality Druids when we know it took as long as 12 to 20 years to become one in ancient times. This can be accomplished by setting up a curriculum similar to that of those of ancient times. In the Book of Ollamhan, this training was said to produce seven levels of Filidh with a curriculum that lasted for twelve years. These seven levels laid out would be "a 'Fochlac', a 'Mac Fiurmedh', a 'Doss', a 'Cana', a 'Cli', and an 'Anrad', with an 'Ollamh' as the seventh.." And with that I will outline the difference between a Druid and a Celt. To be a Druid in truth, firstly you must memorize an acceptable number of tales traditional and experiential in order to be able to advise the people of the Tuath or tribe, and have learned the skills necessary to help them in times of need. When the poet's dedication to truth has stood for years as a shining example without blemish, when he has absorbed the lore and the techniques of other Druids to the point that he is considered skilled in many of them, when he has established a connection to the Otherworld and the deities such that you can be described as one who is a master, and when his skills in leadership and communication are such that people you serve usually understand what you say and frequently follow your advice, then...You are a Druid.
Power of the Dagdha's heart be in you.
Senbecc, your resident Druid and Filidh