Inventing the Past: Iolo Morganwg and His Neo-Druidic Doctrine

Abstract

This article examines the historical mythmaking of the multifaceted Welsh intellectual Edward Williams and his bardo-druidic doctrine known as “Bardism” and developed by him based on the ideas of the main ancient religions (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.). Drawing on Barddas, the purpose of this study is to identify and reveal the main “dogmas” of neo-druidism and identify the peculiarities of interpretation of the Celtic past by this historian-polymath. Relying on the methodology of intellectual history, the author not only manages to trace the origins of neo-druidism in the work of Edward Williams but also reveal the very context of the era which the main hoaxer of Wales belonged to. During the study, the author concludes that the doctrine developed by the antiquary was aimed at refuting the image of the Celts as barbarians, which appeared in the Roman historical tradition and entrenched in the perception of the British. This was accomplished by Edward Williams by creating a bardic-druidic doctrine, which demonstrated that the Druids were not bloodthirsty pagan priests at all, but on the contrary, sages who spread monotheism and principles of truth, piety, freedom, and peace. Based on the blending of Druidism and Christianity, Celtic church arose, which was destroyed by the Roman Catholic Church. However, the ancient teaching survived thanks to the poetic tradition of the Bards of Glamorgan, successors of the Druids. Thus, building this line of succession, Iolo Morganwg was able to consolidate the status of the centre of Druidism for his motherland both in ancient times and in modern times, and demonstrate a high degree of development of the Celtic civilization.