The Role of Celtic Women as Druidesses & Priestesses
The Druids and Druidesses in ancient Celtic society composed an intellectual elite, whose knowledge and training placed them as priests of the Celtic religion. Their training normally lasted over twenty years and consisted of the memorization of literature, poetry, history, and Celtic law (Condren, 1989). The Druids mediated for their people, preformed sacrifices, interpreted omens, and presided over religious ceremonies. The Romans placed much of their effort into dismantling this high-ranking position of the Celtic culture, in order to assimilate the Celts into following their way of life. Thus, many attacks were aimed at Druids/ess and their schools.
There are a few descriptions in literary work of Romans and Greeks of druidesses and priestesses. Again objectivity comes into question; products of male dominated societies show they may not have even taken notice of the females, or chose not to include their presence as significant. Stewart includes in his research, one of the earliest accounts is by Tacitus, of a Roman expedition against the Druid sanctuary or college of Anglesey in 61 A.D. The historian describes black-robed Druidesses curing the faltering Roman legionaries:
“…On the shore stood the opposing army with its dense array of armed warriors, while between the ranks dashed women, in black attire like the Furies, with hair disheveled, Waving brands. All around, the Druids, lifting up their hands to heaven, and pouring fourth imprecations, scared our soldiers by the unfamiliar sight, so that, as if their limbs were paralyzed, they stood motionless. And exposed to wounds….”
(Tacitus. The Annals, trans. Church and Brodribb, 1895)
“…On the shore stood the opposing army with its dense array of armed warriors, while between the ranks dashed women, in black attire like the Furies, with hair disheveled, Waving brands. All around, the Druids, lifting up their hands to heaven, and pouring fourth imprecations, scared our soldiers by the unfamiliar sight, so that, as if their limbs were paralyzed, they stood motionless. And exposed to wounds….”
(Tacitus. The Annals, trans. Church and Brodribb, 1895)
Archaeological Evidence
Since the Celts retained an oral culture, until the introduction of Christianity in the fourth century, there are few, if any firsthand accounts by the Celts themselves. The majority of the surviving textual accounts about druids/ess and priestess are through the Roman and Christian monks. Many of the Irish myths contain passages about female druidsess and priestess, creating supernatural beings, not female humans. Furthermore, their accounts have led to the mystified version of druidesess and priestess as ‘foreseers’, ‘witches’, or possessing magical/evil powers, too extraordinary to believe.
The archaeological evidence for priestesses and druidesess consists primarily of iconography and epigraphy represented by some female burials (Green M. , 1996). The images and carvings date from the Romano-Celtic period, making it impossible to specify whether these women belonged to the Roman or Celtic religious tradition.
Since the Celts retained an oral culture, until the introduction of Christianity in the fourth century, there are few, if any firsthand accounts by the Celts themselves. The majority of the surviving textual accounts about druids/ess and priestess are through the Roman and Christian monks. Many of the Irish myths contain passages about female druidsess and priestess, creating supernatural beings, not female humans. Furthermore, their accounts have led to the mystified version of druidesess and priestess as ‘foreseers’, ‘witches’, or possessing magical/evil powers, too extraordinary to believe.
The archaeological evidence for priestesses and druidesess consists primarily of iconography and epigraphy represented by some female burials (Green M. , 1996). The images and carvings date from the Romano-Celtic period, making it impossible to specify whether these women belonged to the Roman or Celtic religious tradition.