- Chapter Twenty-Three -
while he was discriminated against in the medieval Irish laws, he was not ignored.
An impressive example of this discrimination occurs in the Old Irish law text entitled
Bretha Crolige (Kelly 1988:60). The druid, together with the satirist (cainte) and
the brigand (diberg) is entitled to sick-maintenance (othrus) only at the level of the
boaire, 'cow-noble, owner of stock', 'no matter how great his rank, privilege or other
rights' (ibid.). He did, however, still have sufficient influence to be included among
the doernemeds, dependent or privileged people, of the legal tract known as
Uraicecht Becc, 'Small Primer'. The druids then had a definite if elusive role in Irish
society at this period. Just as the satirist's words were feared, so were the spells of
the druids a continuing source of unease. The druids still seem to have practised
sorcery, adopting a position reminiscent of a crane's, standing on one leg with one
arm outstretched and one eye closed. This was called corrguinecht, which may mean
something like 'crane-wounding' (ibid.). The crane played a sinister role in Celtic
mythology and religion.
This mode of sorcery seems to have included the chanting of a satire. An eighth-
century hymn asks for God's protection against the spells of women and blacksmiths
and druids. This same word for spells -brichtu is used on the Chamalieres tablet in
the form bricti.
It also seems likely that the druids continued to concoct love-potions, which are
referred to in legal texts. In the early Irish saga Serglige Con Culainn, 'The Wasting
Sickness of Cu Chulainn', the druids come to the assistance of the hero Cu Chulainn
and his mistress the goddess Fand by giving them draughts of a potion which would
make them totally forget their passion. Then the god Manannan, Fand's husband,
'shook his cloak between them so that they might never meet together again
throughout eternity' (Dunn 1969: 198).
The undoubted magical powers of the druids could also be employed in war. The
classics tell us that this was the case in Gaul. Diodorus Siculus, writing in the late
first century Be, says that druids and chanting bards would come between armies
lined up for battle, charming them and so averting combat (Kendrick 1927: 83).
The Annals of Ulster of 561 note the use of a druid fence (erbe ndruad) in the battle
of Cuil Dremne. Any warrior leaping over it was killed. Druids could also ensure
victory in battle for the weaker side, according to the law Bretha Nemed toisech.
This states: 'a defeat against odds ... and setting territories at war confer status on a
Druid' (Kelly 1988:61) (Figure 23.2).
DRUIDES, VATES, BARDOS
The classics record a threefold learned order for the Gauls. Chief among these are
the druids, whose period of training lasted for some twenty years. They were priests,
they alone knew the will of the gods, with whom they could communicate directly.
They were also known as philosophers; their specialist knowledge included astrology
and astronomy, medicine, magic, legal expertise and skill as teachers and historians
(Figure 23.3).
Closely related are the vates, whose disciplines took up to twelve years to master.
They too were accredited with the power of prophecy, they played some priestly part