Romantic Druidism developed in the early eighteenth century. Mostly sought after by fraternal-order members, such as Freemasons, to develop an indigenous British mystical order. It is heavily influenced by fraternal-order occult groups such as Freemasons, Ceremonial Magicians, Ordo Templi Orientis, the Golden Dawn, and other similar groups, even to the extent of using Cabbalistic ritual tools like the Enochian Key!

Most of its claim to Celtic origin comes from the Arthurian myths, the concepts of the Sacred King, the Grail Quest, and the Ordained Orders of Knights. It is characterized by a number of features that make it distinct from historical Druidism, although many Romantic Druids assert that theirs is the historically authentic Druidism.

Most of its claim to Celtic origin comes from the Arthurian myths, the concepts of the Sacred King, the Grail Quest, and the Ordained Orders of Knights. It is characterized by a number of features that make it distinct from historical Druidism, although many Romantic Druids assert that theirs is the historically authentic Druidism.

In some of their rituals they call upon the four classical elements, the four directions, archangels, dragons, and non-Celtic Gods in ritual methods that resemble wizardly conjurations rather than otherworldly journeys. They often speak of the need for "shielding", as if all of nature's powers are malevolent and threatening, and it's the Druid's duty to subdue them, but IMO these are somewhat exaggerated extremes. None the less, it's much different than the Traditional Druidism followed today.

The Arthurian legends are unique, due to their taking place during a delicate transition period between Druidism and Christianity. At the time Christianity was well entrenched as the religion among nobility, yet Druidism was sustained in the form of folk-practices.

Arthurian mythology contains many distinctly ancient Celtic concepts but is a new and unique mythology as well. Misty islands and otherworldly hunting expeditions, which comprise much of Arthurian legend, clearly originate from the older Celtic mythologies where such encounters are common ways to enter the Otherworld. The Irish Druid, Uath Mac Immoman, challenged a warrior to a mutual beheading in much the same way The Green Knight, who can be interpreted as Cernunnos or the Green Man, challenged Sir Gawain. The Perilous Bridge that Lancelot has to cross is similar to the bridge at Scatha's School for Heroes that Cu/Chullain must cross. Yet perhaps all those "wise hermits" that the Knights are always running into, were in fact Druids in hiding. Merlin himself is now thought to have been a Druid by some modern authors, since he too was an advisor to a king, a prophet, and made his home in the wilderness. To stretch it a bit, perhaps the Grail legends follow those magical cauldrons like the one possessed by Dagda, which could feed armies and raise the dead, and by Cerridwen, which was a font of wisdom.

Arthurian mythology contains many distinctly ancient Celtic concepts but is a new and unique mythology as well. Misty islands and otherworldly hunting expeditions, which comprise much of Arthurian legend, clearly originate from the older Celtic mythologies where such encounters are common ways to enter the Otherworld. The Irish Druid, Uath Mac Immoman, challenged a warrior to a mutual beheading in much the same way The Green Knight, who can be interpreted as Cernunnos or the Green Man, challenged Sir Gawain. The Perilous Bridge that Lancelot has to cross is similar to the bridge at Scatha's School for Heroes that Cu/Chullain must cross. Yet perhaps all those "wise hermits" that the Knights are always running into, were in fact Druids in hiding. Merlin himself is now thought to have been a Druid by some modern authors, since he too was an advisor to a king, a prophet, and made his home in the wilderness. To stretch it a bit, perhaps the Grail legends follow those magical cauldrons like the one possessed by Dagda, which could feed armies and raise the dead, and by Cerridwen, which was a font of wisdom.

It is worth noting that the sword called Excalibur may have come from legends surrounding a real sword, as the Celts were iron-workers, ahead of most other contemporary cultures. Iron-age technology helped the Celts defeat the Dannans, who worked bronze, a much softer metal. Around Arthurian times, it was discovered that nickel-iron from meteorites could be used to create stainless steel and that swords layered with this metal would never bend, scratch, break, nor rust. Weapons like that would have been seen as magical, and would have developed names and reputations independently.

An important concept in Arthurian Druidism is the concept of the sacred king. Arthur is a sacred king, because he was chosen by God to rule, by virtue of his birth and the wisdom he developed. The story of the Fischer King is another that demonstrates the connection between kings and God(s). Who is the Earth Mother, for she is suffering from the unhealable wound while at the same time his territory is barren and infertile, as if wounded just like him? The Grail is a symbol of divinity, of feminine divinity in particular, and though it is said to be the cup of Christ, most Arthurian Druids agree that it represents the Earth Goddess, which is why its’ wine can be drunk by only those who are connected to her, like the sacred king, and the chaste knight, who reserves his love only for her. Perhaps these concepts are merely the remnant of the old ritual of the marriage of kings to the land.

Arthurian Druidism by: bmyers