Are Druids (Druidism?) cosidered Germanic Pagans?

Question

I would like to know how closely the Druids of ancient France and England are related to Germanic Paganism, specifically from the central European area.

All I know is that wikipedia says Norse Paganism is related to Germanic Paganism, and in highschool I think they said there was a period of cultural exchange between the Norse and the native people of Britan when the Norse (Scandanavians? Vikings?) invaded.

Also, is there any source of information on the Germanic Paganism tradition itself? I can't find any info about it. I'm specifically interested in Germanic paganism, not Druids or Norse mythology, subjects on which there is an abundance of information.

I would love to get some real historical facts on this apparent mystery!

Answer 1

The druids were the priestly class of the ancient Celts - not only in the British Isles, but also the Celtic/Gallic peoples in Gaul (France), Switzerland, Trace (part of what is now Greece), and Galatia (part of what is now Turkey). The term "Druid" was first used by ancient Greek writers and appears to have been derived from a word the Celts themselves used and which in turn derives from ancient Proto-Indo-European words meaning "steadfast" and "knowledge."

The Germanic peoples migrated into Europe from the Steppes during what is called the "Völkerwanderung" or Migration Period which lasted from approximately A.D. 300-700. The Volkerwarderung is part of what helped push the Celts out of much Europe and into Brittany and the British Isles, isolating the Celts who were left in Galatia.

Not a lot is known about Germanic paganism since many of the tribes converted to Christianity soon after entering Europe. The Goths learned of Christianity from Roman soliders they met along the Germanic frontier; the Burgundians became Arians (a form of Christianity) somewhere in the east as they traveled before they eventually settled on what is now the border between France and Germany. The Franks appear to have become Chrisitans very quickly. The Saxons held onto paganism the longest and many of them only became Christian after the (continental) Saxon territory was conquered by Charlemagne (a Frank).

The Saxons had a sacred tree called "Irminsul" that was similar to "Yggdrasil", the World Tree, in Norse tradition. This suggests that Germanic paganism was more closely related to Norse paganism than to Druidism.

Diana L. Paxson, in the "Background and References" section at the end of her novel _The Wolf and the Raven_ suggests that all of the Indo-European peoples migrating out of the east (including both Celtic and Germanic tribes, as well as others) at one time shared a common Earth-based religion, remnants of which can be seen in both Celtic and Gemanic traditions, but that the Germanic traditions were overlayed with Norse traditions - including a strong emphasis on Wodan/Odin.

However, a number of Old Norse scholars studying the origin of the Norse pantheon point out that Odin was a relative late-comer to the stories. One theory is that Wodan was originally a legendary High King, but contact with the Romans and knowledge of the Roman pantheon led to his elevation to chief God, so as to mimic the place of Jupiter/Zeus in the Greco-Roman system.

There was an awful lot of religious mixing and sharing of ideas during the Migration Period.

Answer 2

Druids, are Celtic, they are from the British Isles, so I don't think that they are considered Germanic Pagans, however I too would like to learn more about Germanic Paganism.

Answer 3

first of all, honey, that grew to become right into a FICTIONAL tale... you even stated so... yet i'm uncertain you comprehend the version between fiction and NONfiction. Fiction ability it grew to become into MADE UP. maximum possibly very loosely in keeping with imprecise recommendations of what might desire to have exceeded off. there is no longer likely any shown evidence that Druids did certainly use human sacrifice, purely info that it would desire to be available. there grew to become into plenty extra possibly Animals sacrifice. the two grew to become into no longer used gently. a life grew to become into and is invaluable and might or no longer that's sacrificed, it grew to become into with great solemnity and admire to the life and achieved in basic terms while another determination grew to become into exhausted. And so, if that distinctive element grew to become into to get previous the pacifists and the fluffies and into the "substantial flow" pagan circulation that's possibly that such sacrifices might additionally be achieved in basic terms while there grew to become into no different determination left. besides the fact that, inspite of hardcore Reconstructionalists lurking approximately, that's tremendously unlikely to take place. to no longer point out, you're in basic terms up for sacrifice in case you're interior the gang doing the sacrifice.... that's not like the Romans who fed christians to the lions, or the christians who tortured adult adult males, women and little ones with a view to get them to "confess" to being a witch...or the human sacrifice that they declare grew to become into made while Jesus grew to become into murdered?...and in basic terms pagans did human sacrifice, huh? a minimum of we had a extra ideal reason than applying it to scare others into following our techniques...and we don't rejoice it back and back back with ritual cannibalism! (communion) Did your little e book additionally point out that there might desire to be volunteers and lotteries to verify who might have the respect of being sacrificed? Did it concider, ever, that the sacrificial guy or woman grew to become into, in spite of if afraid nonetheless a particularly prepared? in case you will care to proceed this deiscusson, you may digital mail me.

Answer 4

yes