druí

Druí is the Irish term used to denote the members of the ancient Celtic priestly and learned class, commonly translated as “druids” in English. In early Irish and broader Gaelic cultures, druí were among the most respected figures, combining religious duties with education, law, and mediation. They presided over sacrifices and rituals, interpreted the will of the gods, and served as custodians of genealogies, lore, and legal tradition. They also acted as judges and advisers to kings and were known for memorizing and transmitting large bodies of oral knowledge, including laws and histories.

Our knowledge of the druí comes from a combination of classical sources and later Irish texts. Latin and Greek writers described druidic roles among the Gauls, while medieval Irish annals and sagas recount druidic functions in pre-Christian Ireland. The druí left no surviving writings of their own, so what is known about them is partly reconstructed and sometimes mythologized. With the Christianization that began in late antiquity and accelerated in the early medieval period, the old druidic order declined and was gradually displaced by bishops, monks, and the church hierarchy; by late medieval times the traditional role had largely faded.

In modern usage, the term druí continues to appear in Gaelic-language contexts to describe the historical druid class. It is also used in neopagan and cultural movements within the broader Druidry tradition, which draws on ancient themes of nature reverence and wisdom. Modern druidic groups are diverse and not a single, continuous institution from antiquity.