Druids: Physicians & Counsellors
Above: Illustrating picture of ancient druids
We read of them acting at the battle of Mai’di Tuireadh as physicians to heal the wounded. Drostan the druid, says the Dinnseanchus, recommended a bath in milk to heal wounded men ; and in the comparatively modern poem, " Eachtra an Amadain Mhoir," we find a man’s leg restored by the druids’ agency.
Eochaidh Feidlioch having asked his druids where he would build his fort was advised to have it erected at Cruachain. It was a druid counselled Niall Naoighiallach to bind to a stone Eochaidh, king of Leinster, who subsequently slew Niall on the banks of the Loire. As St. Patrick approached Tara two druids instructed Laoghaire as to the attitude to be adopted towards our national apostle, and were confounded.
Intermediaries.- When the princes of Minister decided to burn Core and Cormac—often referred to as the Romulus and Remus of Irish history—and to cast their ashes adrift because they were illegitimate, Dineach the druid implored them to spare Core and hand him over to himself. Having obtained tlieir assent, he took the youth to Beare island where Baoi lived, and left him for a year under her protection, then he placed him under the care of the boy’s grandmother, saruithe. In the course of time, Core became king of Munster and, having been at Tara at the coming of Patrick, is reputed the first man in Ireland to bend the knee to him. Teachers.—Cathbad the prophet was with Conchubhar mac 1->vff-ln ^le nortn-east °£ Eamhain imparting learning, and vutn turn were eight eager pupils in the class of druidic cunning, ne Crude Caoinbheile, who came from Eas Ruadh to amuse ^d mstruct, out of friendship for Aileall and Meadhbh, are „. eilecl t° m the Tain as druids, harpers of great cunning and Col -Power of augury and magic. Two ‘druids, Mail and on Pt ■ T*?le lnstricting Laoghaire’s daughters at Cruachain Patrick s arrival there. It was, indeed, a druid presented St. Patrick with the site for the school of Elphin, as Baya, exiled Irish druid, presented to St. David the site for his gre Welsh monastery.1 St. Mochta was brought up in a drui house in Louth; and we have it on the authority of the Leah Breac that Colm Cille’s mother consulted a druid as to t proper time to have her son educated. This druid was, fact, the first tutor of the Dove of the Cell. In the " Cha of Glenasmoil" reference is made to Fearghus who bestow gold on the druids. Even Julius Caesar says " in the six chapter of his history " that the druids who came to dir schools in France got free land and maintenance from t kings. They probably came from Ireland, then regard as the fountain head of the druidism of western Europe.
