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There is not a whole lot of information about the ancient people called the Druids. Much of what we
know is from the writings of Julius Caesar who had only heard of their stories by his soldier's words of
mouth. Much of what he had to say was propaganda so that the war against the Celtic peoples was
justified. The Druids originate not in the Celtic Isles but with the Celtic people who lived anywhere between France and Turkey. After being forced by rival armies to move, they eventually entered the British Isles. Eventually, the Christian Church invaded the Isles and used parts of the Old Religion to convert the natives to Christianity. Much of Celtic Christianity has its roots in the Old Religion. Brigit was the great mother Goddess of Ireland and was revered by all who lived there. She represents the supreme mother, fertility, and creative inspiration. In the fifth century CE, Christian missionaries used the stories about this Goddess and downgraded her to a mere saint. The word druid might have come from a meaning of "backwoodsmen" or from the word dru-wid meaning oak knowledge. As a gathering society, the oak was revered because it dropped acorns and could store them as well. Acorns were used as food and baked into bread. The tree also provided wood for shelter and fire. The ancient Druids were men and women of science, nature, and moral philosophy. As judges in the community they were entrusted with deciding cases that affected the public as well as the private. As teachers, they would instruct large numbers of people who desired knowledge. These were the most respected of the three classes of important Celts. The Druids, as many pagans do, believed in a cycle of rebirth, or reincarnation. They believed that when a person died, their spirit or soul would immediately transmigrate into a nearby life-form. This may be how shapeshifting is commonly associated with Druidry.
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