A member of the ancient Celtic priestly class who served as priests, teachers, and judges. In modern contexts, refers to practitioners of neo-pagan religions inspired by ancient Celtic traditions.
From Latin 'druides,' derived from Gaulish, possibly related to Proto-Celtic 'dru-wid-es' meaning 'oak-seers' or 'strong seers.' The connection to oak trees reflects their sacred groves and deep connection to nature.
What's fascinating is that almost everything we 'know' about druids comes from their enemies - Roman writers like Julius Caesar - since druids themselves maintained an oral tradition and wrote nothing down. This makes them one of history's most mysterious and romanticized figures, inspiring everything from fantasy literature to modern environmental movements.
Druid imagery was heavily masculinized in 19th-century Romanticism despite Celtic evidence of priestesses. Modern neopaganism is correcting this erasure.
Use 'druid' for all genders; avoid 'druidess.' Acknowledge historical female druids.
Ancient Celtic societies had female druids and priestesses; Victorian scholarship erased them from druid tradition.
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