It should come as no surprise to you that it can be challenging finding out information on Druidism. Anyone who has tried to look for something specific and may not have a resource such as a Grove or strong community can attest to this. What may come as a bit of a surprise is that a lot of what has been committed to writing has been done so by enemies (the Romans for example).
Amoung other things early Druids are well known for committing large sums of knowledge to memory and were regarded as scholars. Of particular value to them were the arts such as poetry and song. Learning and regaling these pieces in hopes that the Gods would be pleased and may grant gifts. So why not write it down? Good question! In his book “ Gallic Wars” Book VI, Caesar writes
It is said they (Druids) commit to memory immense amounts of poetry. And so some
of them continue their studies for twenty years. They consider it improper to entrust
their studies to writing…
The idea of course being that the regaling and passing of traditions be a right of passage and holding the knowledge a mark of status but, this makes modern study increasingly challenging. It really is a shame that did not work out…
Modern Druids are finding it increasingly important to document all proceedings. For our Grove, the ADF govern much of this and even request reports from Groves throughout the year. Many of us are creating Family Grimoires and are making contributions to a Grove Grimoire to ensure history can repeat itself. It is an uphill battle but one in which we all find strength. If you are finding this challenging please visit the ADF or OBOD website (links below). There is much to be learned and the internet is making the sharing of this information easier.