Читать книгу 366 Celt: A Year and A Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore - Carl McColman - Страница 56

A side from the druids and bards, the third kind of Celtic wisdomkeepers according to ancient tradition consisted of the seers, or ovates. Classical writers referring to the Celts of mainland Europe indicate that seers, bards and druids were three distinct communities; while in other areas these categories may have been more integrated. For example, in Ireland we find the tradition of the filidh, or visionary-poets—a kind of wisdomkeeper who combines the qualities of bards and seers.

What makes a seer? Begin with the word itself: one who sees. So the seers were the visionaries, the mystics and psychics who were able to receive information from the otherworldly realms. The seers were gifted at interpreting the signs of nature—the omens that could be discerned in the patterns of birds in flight or of clouds overhead. As diviners, the seers were gifted at scrying—the ability to tease meaning and wisdom out of the patterns of a burning flame or a convulsing sacrifice. Whatever the medium, the seer was responsible for receiving raw data, interpreting it, and communicating its meaning to others as messages from the spirit world.