#wtwtf

This is what I gathered to create the druids in my fanfiction When There's A Will There's A Fae. I've also took some of the druidry from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. BTW, totally awesome books. I suggest giving them a read if you like mythology in general.

Celtic and Druidic Society

The Celts

early Kelts were mostly tall, blonde or red-headed, with blue or green eyes and mingling with Scythians introduced darker hair and eye color

took to mining tin, bronze, gold, silver, and salt and were the first European people to forge iron

created soap, shampoo, and the concept of crop rotation

Scythians brought horses to the Kelts and with them moved west and settled Gaul and Iberia (modern-day France and Spain with Portugal) and eventually the Breton Isles (British Isle and Ireland)

Gaulish Celtic society had a class system, but the classes had no rank: one was not higher than another and it was based on ability rather than birthright

women were considered to be equal to men in all aspects of the society

women had sole right to their children and bloodlines were matrilineal; mother of a child is always known, whereas the father can sometimes be hard to determine

woman could be members of all classes of society and hold any rank within a class

were a people a people who loved fun in all of its forms; food, song, dance, and lovemaking were all favorite activities

quick to anger, quick to fight, and quick to forgive

sex only carried emotional attachment if both parties wished it and it was not considered wrong to have sex with someone other than your spouse as long as your spouse agreed

Classes

Farmer

most Kelts were intelligent farmers who tried to work with the ways of the world around them to produce food for their people while doing the least amount of damage possible to the land

in the off seasons they trained with the warriors as reserves

Warrior

fierce and powerful

masters of the horse and wielders of the longsword and bow

trained to protect their people and enforce the laws of the tribe

best among them were the Lord (King or Queen depending on tribe) and the Champion

the Lord was the leader of the tribe in times of battle-crow

the Champion existed to settle matters between tribes in single combat

Bard

judges and poets

the loudest to laugh and the quickest to cry

Chief Bard was given the duty to decide if the laws were made were fair and also determined when the laws had been broken

Bards were entrusted with the history of the tribe as the Kelts had an oral tradition and their history and stories were passed down in song and verse

were capable warriors due to the nature of some of the dances they learned

inviolate in battle as their presence was necessary to record the deeds of the battle for history

Druid

were the wise folk of the tribes

their duty was to keep their tribe in balance with the Otherworld and Nature

created the laws of the tribe and sought ways to improve the lives of their people

were healers and seers

when decisions truly needed to be made that affected the entire tribe, the tribe would call a Council

comprised of three of the wisest farmers, the Lord (Lady) Warrior, the Champion, the Head Bard, a Master Bard (2nd to Head Bard), the Head Druid, and a Master Druid (2nd to Head Druid), thus making a council of nine

usually only those who could yell the loudest but most often the decisions reached were just and fair and benefited the majority of the people

was held in neutral area and those assembled would debate the issue until they arrived at a solution all could agree upon

no one person led the council as all seats were equal in rank

were extremely tribal, loyal to their family and their tribe but often having few things in common with the next nearest tribe

each tribe had a slightly different version of the Keltic language, as well as often having different gods and goddesses

The Druids

in the Druidic orders, women and men were considered equal, and would rise in accordance with their abilities

druids felt that by women and men working together, they were able to achieve the greatest balance and therefore the greatest power in their ceremonies and magic

not until much later when outside cultural influences had begun to change the Celtic peoples as a whole that men and women split in the druidic orders

while this split did exist, it was not viewed as a favorable change and most felt that the rituals and magic lost much of its power by the imbalance of this situation

many people think, and even insist, that the Druids were completely wiped out, first by the Roman massacres and later by the Christian conversions

not many survived but some lived to pass on their knowledge in secret, usually through their families and most likely using the oral tradition of their peoples so there would be no record of their survival

some of these families their lore, others were eventually found and killed or converted and many of the remaining families merged through marriage

a handful survived to pass down their traditions and lore

this knowledge was sometimes preserved at great cost as some families became paranoid and xenophobic, hating or fearing all outside of the family and by this losing part of the great love and pride that was the Celtic nature

were not really priests; did not guide the people in their faith as faith was seen to be an individual matter

most they might have done in the matter of another's faith would be to help them find the balance in themselves

“natural philosophers” is the best term the Greeks used upon their encounter with the Celts to describe Druids

were not part of a “noble” or “ruling” class but merely on necessary part of the whole of Celtic society

History

Ancient Druidism was forged from the shamanistic philosophies of the early peoples who merged to form the Celts

a system deeply rooted in the ways of Nature and the Spirit world

the word Druid comes from and ancient Celtic word, “druii”, meaning “Wise” (closely related to the word meaning “Oak”) and “id” which means “One”

formed a belief structure which revolved around the concept of balance in all things

earliest Druids most likely started out as small, closely-knit groups working together to help their specific tribes

the various groups of druids soon realized that in order to keep their own tribe in balance they needed to understand the other tribes, which led to cooperation between the various druii groups

the Celtic people recognized that the Druii were among the wisest of them and gave unto them the power to create the laws which Celtic society would follow

certain druids began to stand out, possessed great memory and a love of music and sound, and were very passionate and filled with the histories and tales of their people; they became known as Bardghs

given their own place within Celtic society and were judges of the laws that the Druii created

were historians, poets, and musicians of the tribes

Druidic Mindset

druids are known for their curiosity and their willingness to discover the answer to any questions they may have

known for their extreme dedication to their people and to Nature

very open-minded, often to the point where they will accept any idea as possible until it is proven wrong

believe that there are many paths to enlightenment and to truth, and that no one path is “better” than another; all have validity

Training

began their training at a young age, around five years of age or as soon as the gift was recognized within the person

training could continue for at least fifteen years and as much as twenty

nature of the training was harsh, both upon the body and the mind, for one of the key factors in Nature is survival and the ability to manipulate the raw powers of Nature; one needed great endurance

student had no one teacher; all Druids of the community would share knowledge

students would teach those lessons they had learned to newer pupils, and in this way students could advance as fast as their natural abilities would take them

Druids and Bards started training in the same manner; both learned the histories of their people and the laws that the tribe currently followed

both learned the basic tenets of the other's class – a Druid had basic Bard craft and a bard knew the first lessons of Druidism – and was to ensure that the two classes would have a firmer understanding of each other as they often needed to work closely together

one who studies Druidism becomes knowledgeable in as many areas as possible

learn information and absorb it and cherish it no matter how trivial it seems at the time

a Druid is a “walking encyclopedia”, as they use each piece of lore they gather to further their understanding of the workings of the universe and the worlds around them, both seen and unseen

Druidic Rankings

advancement in Druidic society is twofold

first, student must demonstrate a firm grasp of the knowledges they have gained, often in the manner of an oral presentation where they state the lore they have learned and what it means to them

A druid must be more than a mere storehouse of information, they must be able to personally interpret the lore they learn.

Second, the student receives a sign from Nature that s/he is ready to advance

positions that one holds in Druidic society is based upon the structure of a tree

Leaf (Guiteraes) – first level; expected to absorb as much information as they possibly can, and within this time they begin to order their mind and learn basic control over the body

Branch (Maghivellwyn) – second level; must demonstrate an ability to recite what they have learned and tell why it matters; learns animal lore and plant lore and hot to commune with living and nonliving things and will absorb much information from these lessons; also learn how to commune with the elements and basic healing combative, defensive, and divining magics; must often prove their skills in a contest against Nature in which other Druids use both magic and physical obstacles to test the student; upon success of the Branch test, the student is now considered a full Druid (a Druid never stops learning)

Trunk (Llwellyn) – third level; expected to make their own path to gain knowledge; study what most fascinates them, sharing whatever lore they gain with others; this stage is highly dangerous as they are always experimenting with new magics and new methods for older magics; expected to devote some of their time each day for the betterment of both their tribe and Nature

if a druid survives the Trunk level, Nature will call the druid to lead

Root (Themaoddis) – fourth level; now called a Head Druid; expected to aid other druids; aware of what happens both within and without their grove; most responsible for the making of the tribal laws; the link between both the Otherworld and Nature for other druids and sometimes even this is not enough and Nature will call upon the most powerful and wise of druids to lead all the Druids of an area

Tree or the World Around the Tree (Aretha) – fifth and final level; most powerful and wise of druids; expected to solve whatever imbalances are present in their area at the time they take this position

Life Within the Tribe

all Druids chose different abodes and styles of life

some lived in houses along with others of their tribe and others lived in caves; others had no specific abode, but lived outside within the Nature that they served

usually preferred simple dress, most often a robe

color of the robe did not need to be a specific as the color was whatever preferred by the wearer, but the exception to this is that Leaves and Branches almost always wore gray (symbolizing formlessness or potential)

only in very specific rituals would a druid wear a pre-determined color and even then it was not mandatory

were often given whatever material things they needed by others in the tribe (food, water, clothing, shelter if requested)

Druidic Views on Magic

magic is the potential for creation and this potential exists within all things and is the energy that exists within everything, living and nonliving, spirit and substance and it connects all

Druids draw upon the energy in themselves as well as the energy of the things around them to perform magic

energy is never taken forcibly from others but always politely requested

thanks and offerings to those beings who assist the druid are common and uses this energy to aid others

arrogance has no place in Druidic magic

a druid is profoundly respectful for s/he realizes the existence of many, many beings of far greater power than the druid, and s/he is aware of how little s/he knows and how much there is still to learn

Druidic Thought on Sacrifice

sacrifices, both animal and human, that were performed by Druids followed a few very specific rules

first: the sacrifices must be willing

second: the sacrifice must feel NO PAIN

to break these rules rendered the sacrifice unfit for its purpose

Druids perform sacrifices as appeals to the Otherworld for aid and as pleas to way the forces of Nature to a particular act

no unwilling sacrifice would carry an appeal to spirits or the forces of Nature

a sacrifice feeling pain would be in no condition to relate the appeal to the Otherworld or nature in understandable terms

sacrifice in this manner is no longer a necessary part of Druidism

Druidism for the Solitary Druid

it is difficult for a Druid to be solitary because the original structure of Druidism was that of a group working together

a druid assists anyone in need of aid, and a solitary without others for support is often weighed down by the press of all s/he needs to do

solitary Druids might find it easiest to help people in specific areas, perhaps those they most excel in, rather than trying to solve every problem they encounter

since a solitary had no one to test and gauge progress, s/he must have a strong connection to Nature, as Nature will be the primary teacher

a solitary must still gather large amounts of knowledge

without a group to share in this task, the solitary is solely responsible in searching for lore wherever they can

a Druid working alone will learn great inner strength and power from treading the solitary path

If anyone's been reading my fanfiction Where There's a Will, There's a Fae, this is just a snippet from Brynna's back story I'm working on. BTW, the next installment of WTWTF will be up next week.

Some things to know before reading:

bánánach – Irish term for a mysterious, unearthly woman who haunts battlefields. On example is the goddess Badb.

Morrigna – The collective name for a frightful trio of Irish war goddesses: Badb, Macha, and Morrigan. For the purpose of this fanfiction, I use it as the bánánach's name.

Badb – (Black Crow) Goddess of war and death who visited battlefields to incite mayhem, slaughter, and general confusion. For the purpose of the fanfiction, I use it as a Dark Fae title.

Macha – Pretty much the same as the above and I also use it for a Dark Fae title.

The rapid rise and fall of Brynna's chest was a mixture of fatigue and rage. She held a bloody Moralltach in her hand, feeling the liquid squish between her fingers as she tightened them around the grip. It made her feel powerful as she stood atop the slain bodies of her enemies, eyes glowing dimly in the bloody mist around her. Even though she had been forcefully removed from her seat by the conniving ways of one Evony Fleurette Marquise, that didn't mean that bitch had the soul of a Morrigan; battle ran through Brynna's veins. She loved hearing the rush of blood in her ears when in the heat of battle, seeing her sword pierce through a man's insides and feed upon them made the blood-magic within her sing for freedom, but she wisely ignored most of that part of her heritage knowing the pain it always caused her grandfather.

The harsh sound of crows cawing brought her ethereal eyes to the sky where she saw three them swoop down and land upon the small pile of dead bodies nearest her own and began feeding on the mangled corpses all while watching her with their black eyes. She grimaced and snarled at them, flipping them off as their near-human laughter filled her ears.

“That's all ye'll ever be, ye know? A bunch a scavengers lookin' for a big break. Yer no better than some of the humans ye feed from!” Brynna yelled and cackled back as the murder of crows dispersed and the three big ones just popped in the air, feathers bursting in each direction.

The blonde laughed and began walking down the bodies below her, sliding her sword back into its scabbard when the cawing came back. Brynna growled in frustration, hating hearing the call of the inky creatures who still plagued her awake or asleep. She wrapped an arm around her torso at the memory of them clawing and pecking at her like she was Prometheus upon that stone slab. Evony, as soon as her ass had sat on her thrown, had summoned up her sisters-in-arms – the Badb and the Macha – to be the overseers of Brynna's punishment for her desertion of the Dark Fae and the betrayal of the Council of Elders.

The persistent calls brought her out of her past. She turned her head toward the river where the noise had originated from and saw the three ravens on a boulder near a ford. Brynna huffed and walked until she was a few feet from the birds. “You've my attention, Morrigna.” she said in all seriousness, knowing she would have to face the bánánach sooner than she expected. She had seen the unearthly and ancient Fae many times during battle, never knowing if they were there to claim her life or the lives of the many men around her.

Maybe she had finally come for her, and a damn shame, too. She hadn't even been a week out of the damn dungeon

Or maybe she was dreaming.