Irish Druids and old Irish religions / by James Bonwick.

  • James Bonwick
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Irish Druids and old Irish religions / by James Bonwick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    probability is that they were pagan Druidesses.” Dr. O’Connor notes the Cluan-Feart, or sacred Retreat for Druidical nuns. It was decidedly dangerous for any one to meddle with those ladies, since they could raise storms, cause diseases, or strike with death. But how came Pliny to say that wives of Druids attended certain religious rites naked, but with blackened bodies.? Enchantresses, pos- sessed of evil spirits, like as in ancient Babylon, or as in China now, were very unpleasant company, and a source of unhappiness in a family. The Rev. J, F. Shearman declared that Lochra and Luch- admoel were the heads of the Druids’ College, prophesying the coming of the Talcend (St. Patrick), that the first was lifted up and dashed against a stone by the Saint, the other was burnt in the ordeal of fire at Tara, that the Druid Mautes was he who upset the Saint s chalice, and that Ida and Ona were two converted Druids. The Synod of Drumceat, in 590, laid restrictions on Druids, but the Druids were officially abolished after the decisive Battle of Moyrath, 637. The bilingual inscription of Killeen, Cormac—IV VERE DRVVIDES, or “Four True Druids,” was said to refer to Dubhtach Macnlugil as one of the four, he having been baptized by Patrick. Dr. Richey may be right, when he says in his History of the Irish People “ Attempts have been made to describe the civilization of the Irish in pre-Christian periods, by the use of the numerous heroic tales and romances which still survive to us ; but the Celtic epic is not more historically credible or useful than the Hellenic,—the Tain Bo than the Iliad:' It is probable that the readers of the fore- going tales, or those hereafter to be produced, may be of the same opinion. Not even the prophecy of St. Patrick’s advent can be exempted, though the Fiacc Hymn runs;—