physics, philosophy, and logic. One Roman author placed the Druids on a list of the ancient world’s wisest philosophers. This list included the Magi of Persia, the Chaldeans, and the Gymnosophists. (crystalinks)Animals were symbols of the Otherworld to the Druids. A horse was an earth animal therefor it was a symbol of sovereignty. Salmon represented wisdom. For instance Fionn MacCumhall gained supernatural wisdom when he accidentally burned his thumb on a magical salmon cooking on a spit. Crows generally symbolized a coming battle or death. These were not always bad omens. Sometime a crow being present merely meant that a being of the Otherworld was present be it good or evil. Deer indicated the presence of a Holy place. Their antlers represented the branches of the Oak tree. Boars stood for war or death, but also for the skill of a warrior because of the effort needed to kill one. Serpents are also very prominent among Druidic symbols although not much is known of the symbol. Some believe that serpents simply represented Druids, and that the story of St. Patrick banishing the serpents from Ireland is merely a metaphor the banishing of the Druids from the Island. Cattle represented bounty and fertility. The river Boine is said to spring from the udder of a mythic cow owned by the river goddess Boann. (druidslife)One of the problems with practicing Druidism now is that the Druids were subjected to a number of persecutions by many different nations and religions. Much of what the Druids could have taught us have either been censored or lost. The Druids also took up refuge in Ireland for a short while so their practices must have adapted to the new and different environment. A person seeking to worship and practice as the Druid’s would have to sift through a potpourri of different sources to reconstruct a faith....
