Previous Part: Druid, Wattes and Bards
Having defined a druid, or rather the entire druid community, we can begin to explore how the druid corporation functioned and, in a sense, to consider the life of a druid in society. First of all, we will be interested in internal activity: how did this essential organ of every Celtic community balance itself and maintain its functioning? We will also be concerned with external activities: what are the most important functions that society expected from the druids? What was the role of the Druids in the main occupation of the Celts - in the war? What place was assigned to them next to the person of the highest importance, next to the king?
HIERARCHY, SOURCES OF REPLENISHMENT, TRAINING OF DRUIDS
The difficulties that we experience in trying to methodically systematize the various functions of the Druids are not caused by a lack of information, but rather by too limited use of existing documents. It would be a gross mistake to believe, as d'Arbois de Jubinville does in some places in his Course in Celtic Literature, that the Druids did not have a strict hierarchy; or that in Ireland the Druids and the Philids formed two rival communities. As for the last rivalry between the Druids and the Philids, if this were really so, then the foreigners who watched them could never confuse or mix together these two categories of people.
Caesar is formal in his summary: “At the head of all druids is one who enjoys the greatest authority among them. Upon his death, he is inherited by the most worthy one, 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. [154 - Caes, B. G, VI, 13 - Trans. MM Pokrovsky.]
In Ireland the "king of the druids" (righ druadh) was apparently elected in this way [155 - Rev. celt, XLIII, 65.]
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It was not difficult for outstanding mentors to gather around them a mass of attentive listeners: "Many partly go to study with them themselves, partly they are sent by their parents and relatives." [156 - Caes, B. G, VI, 13 - Trans. MM Pokrovsky.]
These instructions from Caesar help to understand at least one thing: the replenishment of the druid class did not take place on a hereditary basis, and anyone who had the desire and ability to do so could gain access to the druid community. Thus, we believe that 103 are reminiscences of the 4th century. AD belonging to the pen of Auson, represent only a form of polite address: "you, born in the family of Druids from the Tribe of the Bayokass" or "by birth descended from the Druids of the Armorican people" [157 - Auson. Commen. Professorum, V, 7 et XI, 27, 29.] are nothing more than compliments, in an academic style. In fact, the tradition may have been maintained in the family, but not in the priestly corporation itself, at least in ordinary times, and the hereditary transfer of official office was never encouraged in Gaul, where everyone,- from tsarist power to military command, was elected. It remains only to make sure that nothing in this respect has changed in the Ausonian era. [158 - We refer the reader to the works of Dr. Bachelier, Ogam, XI, 46, 173, 295; XII, 91.]
Ireland, which created such elaborate hierarchies in its legislative and other codes, could only follow the rule, which was basically the immutable law of any organization of the clergy: "All the rulers in the kingdom, nobles and governors of the provinces … the supreme druids (druidum magistri)" - it is said in Kolgan's "Three Wonders" [159 - See present. ed. pp. 205-206.] on the subject of sacrifice (ad sarificia idolis immolaud - for sacrifice to idols), mention of which is so rare in Irish hagiographic literature.
And in the great epic "Ulster Cycle", in "The Abduction of the Bull from Kualnge" [160 - ML Sjoestedt, op. cit, passim. "Tain Bo Cualnge" was published by J. Windisch in German translation, "Irische Texte", V, Leipzig, 1905.] [For Russian translation, see The Abduction of the Bull from Cualnge, Moscow, 1985. Transl. T, Mikhailova] - Approx. Ed.] "Ulster cycle" is a collection of epic stories, often mythological in form or manner of execution, which tell about the adventures of some famous characters: the kings of Conchobar and Fergus, the heroes of Cuchulainn and Conall Kernach, the druid Cathbad, Queen Medb and others. At a certain moment, during the procession of soldiers, described with extraordinary color and vividness, the druid Katbad appears “surrounded by the druids of Ulster” (with ndraoithibh Uladh uime).
Why would the Druids, whom the authors did not even bother to designate by name, would act as an environment for one of their own kind, if there were no seniority or influence of authority among them? This can serve as a confirmation of Timagen's statement by Ammi-ana Marcellinus: "Between them, the druids, united in friendly alliances, are engaged in the study of mysterious and sublime things." [161 - Amm. Marc, XV, 9.] As for the disciples, the druid Cathbad should have had them in many, quite possibly - a whole detachment of one hundred and fifty young people of noble birth, over which the glorious hero Cúchulainn, [162 - Cúchulainn, or "The Dog of Culanna", see present ed. pp. 129-130.] despite his tender age, he was then only seven years old, committed reprisal, arriving in the capital of Ulster, Emine Mahu. The selection was tough. The reader can judge for himself:
“Druid Katbad taught science to his students northeast of the Emine, and eight of them were capable of Druidic science. One of them asked the teacher what the omens and omens were for that day, whether they were good or bad. Katbad said that the little boy who will take up arms on this day will become brilliant and glorious, but his life will be short … " [163 - T. V. S. from the Leinster Book, Ogam, XI, 325.]
The Yellow Book versions from Lecan [164 - Ed. Strachan. P. 22.] and the Books of the Brown Cow ("Lebor na hUidre", sheet 61a), not so sparing, directly suggest that Katbad sometimes wasted his time in vain: “The Catbad druid was with his son, Conchobar, son of Ness. One hundred people of stupid rakes were with him, studying the science of the Druids. This was the number of those taught by Qatbad."
Philid Dallan Forgaill also supervised the teaching of one hundred and fifty students daily [165 - O'Curry. Manners and Customs of the Ancient Hihs. Dublin, 1873. II. P. 78, 79, 85.] However, one hundred and fifty is a conditional number that is used in all enumerations in the epic.
Eight to one hundred or one hundred and fifty is a rather poor proportion. But in itself, admission to apprenticeship was undoubtedly a valuable achievement in the eyes of society. Druids, who had to hammer the basic knowledge into the heads of all their students, at the same time ensured themselves a high-quality, selective replenishment and continuation of the tradition. The fact that these legends became known after the establishment of Christianity in the country entails a partial loss of their teachings for us, but the status of Katbad [166 - “Cathbad” means “one who kills in battle” (see Ogam, XII, p. 197) or "the one who threatens" (an allusion to the power of satire). See ibid., XII, p. 449-450.] Indicates the significant influence of this teaching in the affairs of Celtic society.
Here is what Caesar (100 - 44 BC) thought about learning from the Druids: “There, they say, they learn many verses by heart, and therefore some remain in the Druidic school for twenty years. They even consider it a sin to write these verses, while, in almost all other cases, in public and private records, they use the Greek alphabet. It seems to me that they have such an order for two reasons: the druids do not want their teachings to be made public and that their pupils, relying too much on writing, pay less attention to strengthening memory; and indeed with many people it happens that, finding support in the notes, they learn by heart and remember what they read with less diligence. Most of all, the Druids try to strengthen the conviction of the immortality of the soul: the soul, according to their teachings, passes after the death of one body into another; they think,that this faith removes the fear of death and thus stirs up courage. In addition, they tell their young students a lot about the luminaries and their movement, about the magnitude of the world and the earth, about nature and about the power and power of the immortal gods.”[167 - Caes., V. G., VI, 14 - Per. M. M. Pokrovsky.]
This was the state of Druidism in the era of its highest flowering: literature, history, theology, philosophy, natural sciences, mathematics, geography, astronomy, etc. - the education of Druids covered the entire sphere of knowledge conceivable at that time. Twenty years and in our time is still the period of study, - as noted d'Arbois, - if you add the time of primary education to the period of secondary and higher. It is permissible to think that such a period of study was associated with high costs, due to which the composition of the students was limited to people from wealthy families. However, after the conquest, despite the introduction of Roman schools, this situation did not change quickly. Pomponius Mela, who around the middle of the 1st century AD. e. compiled a description, about ninety years after the reign of Caesar, repeats everything said by the proconsul,adding to that only a message about the secret nature that the training took: “They (the druids) claim that they know the size and shape of the Earth and the world, the movement of the sky and stars and the desires of the gods. They teach many things to the noblest youths of their people, secretly, for twenty years, staying in caves or in forest solitude. One of the positions in which they instruct was widespread among the people, obviously, so that they (Gauls) behave more bravely in war, knowing that souls are eternal, and there is another life among magicians … ". [168 - Pomp. Mela, III, 3.]One of the positions in which they instruct was widespread among the people, obviously, so that they (Gauls) behave more bravely in war, knowing that souls are eternal, and there is another life among magicians … ". [168 - Pomp. Mela, III, 3.]One of the positions in which they instruct was widespread among the people, obviously, so that they (Gauls) behave more bravely in war, knowing that souls are eternal, and there is another life among magicians … ". [168 - Pomp. Mela, III, 3.]
The mystery of the Druidic teachings is usually interpreted as a consequence of the Roman persecutions started after the edicts of Tiberius (42 BC - 37 AD) and Claudius (10 BC - 54 AD).). However, it should be noted that in the 1st century Gaul was still insufficiently subordinated to the Roman administration, and supervision by the Roman authorities was carried out irregularly. Rather, the Mela text makes us think of the remote sacred groves (remotis lucis) of Lucan [169 - Lucan. Pharsal., I, 452, 453.] The Irishman Katbad also teaches his disciples outside of Eminem Mahi, "to the north-east" (anairtuaith), as all texts indicate, and Philid Verchertne, according to The Conversation of Two Sages, [170 - Ed. Stokes, "Rev. celt.”, 36, 13, 7.] does the same. It should be noted that the Druidic schools existed for a long time in Ireland, under the official leadership of the branches,who became professional teachers. [171 - Ancient Laws, II, 146 et sqq., V, 96.] The noble offspring were educated at the lower levels of this community, they studied law, genealogy and the art of versification. [172 - O'Donovan, "Tribes and Customs of the Well Fiachrach," 79-167.]
Celtic Druids. Book by Françoise Leroux
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