The Celtic World (Routledge Worlds)

• Chapter Twenty-Three -

specialist in religious beliefs and practices supervising the building of the Navan

ritual construct .... It is reasonable to claim that 'historic' Druids (or a Druid)

as described by Caesar were responsible for the initiation, planning, philo-

sophy, specialist knowledge, supervision and religious organisation of this

ritual sequence. Their supervision of the construction of a magico-religious,

oak-post structure is particularly appropriate given that their name could well

mean 'oak-wise'.

RWF

0 Inches 12 24

I

I I

o Centimetres 30 I ~o

Figure 23.6 Very eroded relief of a beardless male, possibly a druid, holding up a knife in the
right hand and with a small creature, a lamb or a young boar, in the left hand. A raven perched
on the left shoulder addresses the socket which presumably once held the left ear; a goose
turns to look back at the male from his left, while an eagle stands beside his right leg. Sault,
Vaucluse, France. (E. Esperandieu, Recueil general des bas-reliefs de La Gaule romaine I,
Paris 1907: 306.)

Ireland has long been thought to be a microcosm of the early Celtic world. It may
well be that the Navan story, together with the many other important excavations of
iron age sites in Ireland, will put the study of druidism and early Celtic religion in
general on a new footing, and permit a fresh consideration of classical comments and
archaeological discoveries both achieved and to come.

REFERENCES

Best, R.1. and O'Brien, M.A. (1956) The Book of Leinster II (Irish text) Dublin: Dublin

Institute for Advanced Studies.

Bieler, L. (1953) The Works of St Patrick, St Secundus, Hymn on St Patrick, London.

Bromwich, R. (1978) Trioedd Ynys Prydein (2nd edn) Cardiff: University of Wales Press (first

published 1961; reprint 1991).

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