Download files
Complete book:
Individual page:
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
lONA : CHRISTIANITY. 19
In early days, and almost up to the time of St.
Columba, the reHgion of the country was of a heathenish
order, called Druidism. How exactly this came to be
practised is not known, but it may have been a corruption
of something better. There is the probability that it
originated from one of those Hebrew Kings who "did
evil in the sight of the Lord." Its stronghold in Scotland
was the Island of lona, which, later, was to become
celebrated as the seat and centre of the Christian religion
in our land.
It is chiefly owing to the secrecy observed in not
committing to writing any part of the tenets of their
religion that much of the story of the Druids is hid in
impenetrable darkness and obscurity. That Britain was
a stronghold of the order we know, and we have it on the
authority of Caesar that the youth of Gaul resorted to this
country for instruction.
The word Druid in the Gaelic stands for magician or
wise man, while in the Greek it signifies an oak tree.
Many of the mysticisms of the order were conducted
under the groves, and it is presumed that it is from this
that the word is derived. The oak tree was held as
particularly sacred by the Druids.
There were at least three distinctive orders of male
Druids and three of female. In the male order there was
first the Chief Priests or Arch Druids, who conducted the
ceremonial part of the worship, and who dispensed
justice. Of the second order were the Ovates who
supervised the sacrificial rites. Of the third were the
Bards. These last became the respected Sennachies of
the Highland chiefs of a later date, and their duties were
the extolling in verse and in music the praises of their
heroes, and in teaching these to their pupils, who, in
turn, handed them still further on — oral systems
occupying the place of history books.
In early days, and almost up to the time of St.
Columba, the reHgion of the country was of a heathenish
order, called Druidism. How exactly this came to be
practised is not known, but it may have been a corruption
of something better. There is the probability that it
originated from one of those Hebrew Kings who "did
evil in the sight of the Lord." Its stronghold in Scotland
was the Island of lona, which, later, was to become
celebrated as the seat and centre of the Christian religion
in our land.
It is chiefly owing to the secrecy observed in not
committing to writing any part of the tenets of their
religion that much of the story of the Druids is hid in
impenetrable darkness and obscurity. That Britain was
a stronghold of the order we know, and we have it on the
authority of Caesar that the youth of Gaul resorted to this
country for instruction.
The word Druid in the Gaelic stands for magician or
wise man, while in the Greek it signifies an oak tree.
Many of the mysticisms of the order were conducted
under the groves, and it is presumed that it is from this
that the word is derived. The oak tree was held as
particularly sacred by the Druids.
There were at least three distinctive orders of male
Druids and three of female. In the male order there was
first the Chief Priests or Arch Druids, who conducted the
ceremonial part of the worship, and who dispensed
justice. Of the second order were the Ovates who
supervised the sacrificial rites. Of the third were the
Bards. These last became the respected Sennachies of
the Highland chiefs of a later date, and their duties were
the extolling in verse and in music the praises of their
heroes, and in teaching these to their pupils, who, in
turn, handed them still further on — oral systems
occupying the place of history books.
Set display mode to: Large image | Transcription
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated.
Early Gaelic Book Collections > Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands > (45) |
---|
Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/81816165 |
---|
Description | Selected books from the Ossian Collection of 327 volumes, originally assembled by J. Norman Methven of Perth. Different editions and translations of James MacPherson's epic poem 'Ossian', some with a map of the 'Kingdom of Connor'. Also secondary material relating to Ossianic poetry and the Ossian controversy. |
---|
Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
---|