What God did the Druids Believe in?
The Druids believed in a supreme god, whom they called Be’al, meaning “the source of all beings,” with the symbol of this supreme being being fire, and they also worshipped many lesser gods. The Druidic belief system was polytheistic, with an emphasis on nature and the idea that their deities predated Christianity, and were usually regarded as being immanent rather than transcendent.
Druidic Beliefs and Practices
Introduction to Druidism
The Druids were a class of priests, teachers, and judges in ancient Celtic societies, and their beliefs and practices are still shrouded in mystery. To gain a deeper understanding of Druidism, let’s explore some frequently asked questions about this ancient and fascinating spiritual practice.
FAQs About Druidism
- What is the Druidic view of the afterlife? The Druids taught that the human soul was immortal and that, upon death, it passed into the body of a newborn child.
- Who are the female Druids? In medieval Irish legends, female Druids were called Banduri or Bandorai.
- Did the Druids have a Bible? There is no universal sacred text in Druidism, like the Bible or the Quran, and believers do not meet for weekly services.
- What language did the Druids speak? The Druids spoke a Celtic language, which varied from Gaelic to Welsh to Gaulish.
- Who killed the Druids? The Roman general Suetonius and his soldiers destroyed the Druids’ sacred oak groves, smashed their altars and temples, and killed many Druids.
- What is the Druidism symbol? In some forms of modern Druidism, the term is symbolized by an emblem showing three straight lines that spread apart as they move downward, drawn within a circle or a series of circles of varying thickness.
- Were the Druids evil? The Romans villainized the Druids for practicing human sacrifices and blood rituals, but this view is not necessarily accurate.
- Why did the Romans hate the Druids? The Druids were alleged to practice human sacrifice, a practice abhorrent to the Romans.
- Were the Druids Irish or Scottish? Druidry was a pagan spiritual practice that was present in many Celtic societies, including Irish, Scottish, and Welsh communities.
- What powers do Druids have? Druids have power over nature and can cast spells that can cause twisting briars to spring from the earth, entire forests to appear, or bring mighty winds to blow away their enemies.
- Were Druids allowed to marry? Unlike in some modern religions, Druids were free to marry, with Druids often marrying priestesses or either one marrying warrior nobles.
- Do Druids follow a god? Druids can worship gods, but it usually makes sense for them to worship gods of nature over any other gods.
- What is the relationship between Druidism and paganism? Druidism is a part of the broader pagan community, which encompasses a diverse range of spiritual practices and traditions.
- Is Merlin a Druid? Historically, if Merlin was a ‘Wizard’ connected to a pre-Roman or Roman warlord/king, he would probably have been a Druid or priest depending on the time period and religions involved.
- How did the Druids worship? Depending on the group and region, the Druids worshipped a variety of gods and goddesses, and they also worshipped nature, as if nature and the land itself was a divine being.