Official Review: The Druids by Ilene Birkwood

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 20 Apr 2020, 01:11

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Druids" by Ilene Birkwood.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Come, take a journey with me centuries into the past, when Druids lived and practiced, tucked safely into their sanctuaries in forests, caves, and mountains. In The Druids by Ilene Birkwood, the author discusses Druidic lore and historic sites around the world. Her style of writing is clear, informal, and straightforward. Her vivid descriptions of both Druidic life and sites are quite engaging. It feels like you are being taken on a tour through the past and present of Druidry with the author as your guide.

As a point of interest, I did a bit of research while reading the book and found that the author’s information about most things discussed seems accurate. For instance, according to the author, Druidry isn’t considered a religion. It’s a way of life that is based on a reverence for nature. Ever wonder exactly who the Druids were? Birkwood tells us that they were the first known true environmentalists and conservationists. Wherever they lived (seashore, mountains, etc.), they specialized in preserving flora and fauna in that area. This is still true of modern Druids.

The author also discusses aspects of Druidic life and tradition. We are, for instance, treated to discussions on Druidic beliefs about healing and a rather in-depth description of their educational system. Tenants by which they lived are mentioned as well. The core belief of these is, “Do no evil.” Their festivals and rituals are introduced and briefly discussed as are, in very general terms, (some) of their Gods and Goddesses (Yes, I capitalized those. It’s how it was done in the book, so I respected that.)

I think my favorite part of the book was the author’s discussion of present-day Druidry and its current rapid growth. There are too many positive aspects of today’s Druidic tradition to name. The one I liked the best, however, was, “Whatever beliefs individuals hold, the most important characteristic of Druidry is their tolerance of all viewpoints.” Would that the whole world would feel and act in this way.

Despite my fascination with most of the topics discussed in the book, I did have one significant issue with it.

Disclaimer: The following comes from the book The Druids and this reviewer’s interpretation of what the author has presented. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions and/or beliefs of this reviewer.

To the author’s credit, she does mention that there are three types of Druids (1) The Bards, who learned and passed on the stories and legends of the tribe, (2) the Ovates, who were destined to become the seers and healers, and (3) those simply known as Druids. They were philosophers, teachers, and judges. Each sect was initially introduced in its own paragraph.

After that, however, only the Ovates are ever mentioned again. They merit not only an entire chapter for themselves but also mention in several others. Why? Sensationalism. Put bluntly; it was because the Ovates were the only Druid sect considered to be witches. Factually, the Ovates were the healers and midwives, those who were knowledgeable in healing and herb lore. In addition to this, they were extensively educated in all (known) types of medicine and healing. They were the physicians before ‘doctors’ existed.

The author speaks at great length about the persecution, trials, and subsequent deaths (often by burning) of these Druids after Rome embraced Christianity. Their ‘sin’? Their knowledge of healing and that they were preferred by the people as healers, instead of Christian and Roman physicians. Church leaders felt that this threatened patriarchal authority. Thus, the Druidic Ovates were deemed ‘witches’ because it was reasoned that healing could come only from God. As Druids were pagans, their power to heal must, therefore, come from evil.

There was much that I liked about this book. Unfortunately, this one bias practically overshadowed much else that was discussed. So, to whom would I recommend the book? Certainly, those interested in Druidry would most likely find the book appealing. I’m equally sure that anyone in the Christian community would be uncomfortable reading certain sections. I am also concerned that there are those in the pagan community who would, at the very least, roll their eyes and take the wonderful parts of the book less to heart because of this problem. What I can say is that anyone reading this book should keep an open mind and try to take what is said on this subject as just a history lesson.

I regret that I cannot give The Druids full stars. Unfortunately, in addition to the above issue, there were also editing problems that exceeded the guidelines of allowed errors. Given the pervasiveness of the problem I discussed (strike one), coupled with the punctuation and grammar errors (strike two), I am forced to give The Druids 2 out of 4 stars. If there were a 2.5 score, I would have happily given it because the book really does have much information about Druids that is interesting. Unfortunately, I just could not get past the author’s obvious bias. My suggestion to you is this: if you do decide to take that journey into the past and exist, for a while, in the world of the Druids, it is essential that you keep an open mind and remind yourself that history is not always pretty or comfortable.

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The Druids
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Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 22 Apr 2020, 10:59

Sadly, I am so clueless about the history of Druids that I learned more from your review alone than I knew previously. It sounds like a fascinating book, regardless of the bias and problems with errors. I loved your review!

hasincla · Post by **hasincla** » 22 Apr 2020, 12:32

Sounds like something I would read if I were *really* interested in druids. I'll keep it in mind for when that day arrives, but as of right now I'll pass. Thank you for your honest review!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 22 Apr 2020, 13:00

Prisallen wrote: ↑22 Apr 2020, 10:59 Sadly, I am so clueless about the history of Druids that I learned more from your review alone than I knew previously. It sounds like a fascinating book, regardless of the bias and problems with errors. I loved your review!

It doesn't really surprise me that you didn't know more about them. Amongst all the Celtic lore available out there, the creatures and legends are most often the favored topic. The Druids are often overlooked or left out. Thank you for the compliment and for stopping in to read my review and comment!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 22 Apr 2020, 13:08

hasincla wrote: ↑22 Apr 2020, 12:32 Sounds like something I would read if I were *really* interested in druids. I'll keep it in mind for when that day arrives, but as of right now I'll pass. Thank you for your honest review!

It does have a lot of excellent information about them, and she got the vast majority of it right. So, if sometime in the future you have a sudden urge to read about Druids, this would be a good book for that! Thanks for dropping in and leaving a comment!

Miraphery · Post by **Miraphery** » 22 Apr 2020, 16:22

Wow, this is a thorough and informative review. I only knew of the Ovates in movies. Thanks for the interesting review.

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 22 Apr 2020, 16:36

Miraphery wrote: ↑22 Apr 2020, 16:22 Wow, this is a thorough and informative review. I only knew of the Ovates in movies. Thanks for the interesting review.

Thank you! Yes, the Ovates are almost always the ones that are portrayed in movies or even in books. That is, as I said, because of the "Wow" factor. They were called witches, so why not portray them that way. Obviously, I don't agree with this. But, to each their own. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 22 Apr 2020, 18:51

The little I know about Druids, I learned from the movie, "Merlin". Based on your review, they seem to have a great culture that is worth looking into. However, I fear that the author's bias might mar the credibility of information I will garner from the book. Thanks for sharing, though.

inaramid · Post by **inaramid** » 23 Apr 2020, 05:44

I've always read about druids in fiction - it didn't occur to me that they'd have this extensive history. I'm intrigued, but with the issues you've mentioned, I might turn to another reference, if I can find one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one!

Adanna Inya · Post by **Adanna Inya** » 23 Apr 2020, 07:24

I dont know a thing about the druids. Guess I have to find out. But this sounds like delving into a world of mysteries, mysticism, sorcery and the sort. I'll pass. Thanks for the review.

JKO · Post by **JKO** » 23 Apr 2020, 16:25

This review says a thing or two about Druidry. I think I want to learn more. I guess I will read this one. I like the fact that you tried to verify the information given by the author. Thanks for the informative review.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 23 Apr 2020, 22:18

I like to read this type of books, but apparently it is not as enjoyable as it seems. Thanks for the insight

Nujudee · Post by **Nujudee** » 24 Apr 2020, 17:48

Druids?
I'll rather pass.
Your review was excellent and straight to the point.
Thank you!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 24 Apr 2020, 21:34

Michelle Fred wrote: ↑22 Apr 2020, 18:51 The little I know about Druids, I learned from the movie, "Merlin". Based on your review, they seem to have a great culture that is worth looking into. However, I fear that the author's bias might mar the credibility of information I will garner from the book. Thanks for sharing, though.

Yes, their culture really is fascinating once you get into it. Of course, I really would like to learn more about all the sects, not just the Ovates she concentrated on.

inaramid wrote: ↑23 Apr 2020, 05:44 I've always read about druids in fiction - it didn't occur to me that they'd have this extensive history. I'm intrigued, but with the issues you've mentioned, I might turn to another reference, if I can find one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one!

I remember the Druids in Merlin. Of course, most of the ones portrayed would have been Ovates, even the little boy (I loved that episode!) would have been one of those who had been chosen to learn to be an Ovate, that much was obvious. This book might be a good starting place, but I would definitely use other references as well. She includes some potential ones at the end of the book.

Thanks to you both for dropping in and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 24 Apr 2020, 21:39

Adanna Inya wrote: ↑23 Apr 2020, 07:24 I dont know a thing about the druids. Guess I have to find out. But this sounds like delving into a world of mysteries, mysticism, sorcery and the sort. I'll pass. Thanks for the review.

Well, they weren't sorcerers any more than they were witches. Mysteries and mysticism? Definitely. Only this took place in reality, not just in fiction books. Thanks for stopping in and commenting!