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A druid is not only a priest, he is equally a warrior: this combination may seem strange, but it is easy to explain. The prototype of the warrior-druid can serve as Katbad, [231 - The status of the druid is different than that of the Roman flamin and the Hindu brahmana, who not only should not fight, but even have no right to see armed troops, (see G. Dumezil “Mitra-Varuna”, P. 27.) Did the status of the druid not reflect the very archaic state of society that preceded the system of power-sharing?
The head of the Druids of Ulster, whose figure appears to be ambiguous in the version of "The Birth of Conchobar", in which we find the following beginning: "Eohaid Yellow Heel, son of Loig ruled the Ulads. His wife gave birth to a daughter, Ness, the daughter of Eohaid Yellowheel, who was raised by twelve teachers. At first, she received the name Assa, because she was pretty and docile. At that time, another warrior from the southern regions of Ulster launched a raid on Ireland, and the number of his companions was three times nine people. Katbad, the famous druid, bore the same name as this warrior: he possessed great scholarship, druidic knowledge and physical strength. He was born in Ulster but left his country. And he arrived when another Katbad with three times nine companions came to one desert. First they entered the battle, then they got tired of fighting and made an agreement, without which they,being equal in number, they would still die. Then Katbad with his family and another hero and his family came to the Ulads and killed twelve mentors of the young girl, who gathered in one house and feasted in full. The girl [who was not with them?] Was the only one who managed to escape their fate, and no one knew who perpetrated this massacre. Upon receiving the news of this, the girl became wildly angry. She went on a campaign with three times nine warriors to avenge her mentors and ravaged and plundered all border areas. Until then, she was called Assa, because she was pleasant to look at, but then with her courage and military valor she earned the opposite name Nyassa … ". [232 -" Ogam ", XII, 236-237.]who gathered in one house and feasted in full. The girl [who was not with them?] Was the only one who managed to escape their fate, and no one knew who perpetrated this massacre. Upon receiving the news of this, the girl became wildly angry. She went on a campaign with three times nine warriors to avenge her mentors and ravaged and plundered all border areas. Until then, she was called Assa, because she was pleasant to look at, but then with her courage and military valor she earned the opposite name Nyassa … ". [232 -" Ogam ", XII, 236-237.]who gathered in one house and feasted in full. The girl [who was not with them?] Was the only one who managed to escape their fate, and no one knew who perpetrated this massacre. Upon receiving the news of this, the girl became wildly angry. She went on a campaign with three times nine warriors to avenge her mentors and ravaged and plundered all border areas. Until then, she was called Assa, because she was pleasant in appearance, but then with her courage and military valor she earned the opposite name Nyassa … "[232 -" Ogam ", XII, 236-237.]to avenge her mentors and ravaged and plundered all border areas. Until then, she was called Assa, because she was pleasant in appearance, but then with her courage and military valor she earned the opposite name Nyassa … "[232 -" Ogam ", XII, 236-237.]to avenge her mentors and ravaged and plundered all border areas. Until then, she was called Assa, because she was pleasant to look at, but then with her courage and military valor she earned the opposite name Nyassa … ". [232 -" Ogam ", XII, 236-237.]
Then Katbad captures the girl while bathing, threatens her with his sword, achieves marriage with her with all the dowry and honors, and the story ends with the conception of King Conchobar and the prophecies of Katbad about the glorious reign of Conchobar. In reality, Catbad appears as a druid or a warrior, depending on the circumstances: "sech la drui side, ba f'ennid" - "besides being a druid, he was also a warrior," the Leinster Book points out. [233 - Livre de Leinster; 106a, 9.] But basically - and this is clearly indicated by his name Katbad (KATH-vath) - the military dignity of Katbad always remains closely associated with his person, therefore, with his priestly dignity.
Caesar explains his behavior: “Upon his death (the supreme druid) the most worthy will inherit him, and if there are several of them, then the druids decide the matter by voting, and sometimes the dispute about primacy is resolved even with weapons.” [234 - Caes, B. G, VI, 13. - Per. MM Pokrovsky.]
“Druids usually do not take part in the war and do not pay taxes on an equal basis with others [they are generally free from military service and from all other duties].” [235 - Caes, B. G, VI, 14. - Per. MM Pokrovsky.]
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From all this, we should only understand that the druids stood above the laws and did what they pleased.
Divithiac, as a druid, commanded a cavalry corps, [236 - Caes, B. G, II, 5, 2.] and the Irish druid Mog Ruith carried the weapon so detailed in The Siege of Druim Damgair. [237 - Rev. celt, 43, 75.] In the same narrative, it is equally about “a warrior with blond curly hair and a pleasant appearance; it was a druid from Medhon Mairtine who was called Medran-druid.”[238 -“Medran”is undoubtedly related to“Medhrach”-“pleasant, cheerful”. Rev. celt, 43, 39.]
Celtic Druids. Book by Françoise Leroux
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