Druidry or Druidism

[Dathi]

I was interested to read this debate on terminology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Neo-Druidism

Druidry works for me, most definitely not "Druidism".

Or how about, when you are Druiding are you being Druidistic... or Druidical

Comments and opinions?

Dathi

[Bracken]

So why not druidism, Dathi?
A friend of mine says I'm being 'all Druidicial'.

[Dathi]

Maybe an inherent aversion to "isms";-)

[Aphritha]

I've gotten used to the term "Druidry" as it is the one I see more commonly used, but when I first stumbled upon Druidry, I wanted to call it Druidism, simply because that double R in Druidry made my mouth feel funny!

[Bracken]

Yes, I understand that. And if you're Scottish and roll your rs a little, it might be even more of a mouthful.

[DJ Droood]

I was interested to read this debate on terminology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Neo-Druidism

Druidry works for me, most definitely not "Druidism".

Or how about, when you are Druiding are you being Druidistic... or Druidical

Comments and opinions?

Dathi

Druidry is the practice of...druid stuff...Druidism is the study of druid stuff.

[katie bridgewater]

Linguistically speaking:

Druidism = a set of beliefs particular to Druids
Druidry = a set of practices particular of Druids
Druidology = the study of the above

I hope this clear things up for you all. Greek (and Latin for that matter) were/are very specific languages, allowing for lots of wonderful and very specific nuances of meaning, as the definitions above demonstrate. These are the meanings though if I had a pound for every time I heard someone mangle their suffixes or prefixes, I would now be into tropical beachism, or luxury-yacht-ry....

[treegod]

I've gotten used to the term "Druidry" as it is the one I see more commonly used, but when I first stumbled upon Druidry, I wanted to call it Druidism, simply because that double R in Druidry made my mouth feel funny!

Try "rural".

[elementalheart]

Excellent, I have been using druidry for what I am studying and appear to be correct. I probably haven't really thought consciously enough about druidism, being caught up in the druidry and my relationship to it. But the prospect of having druidological discussions, ooh now that has an appeal - and it does roll off the tongue, with any accent

[Bracken]

and it does roll off the tongue, with any accent

[crystall_child]

Druidism = a set of beliefs particular to Druids
Druidry = a set of practices particular of Druids
Druidology = the study of the above

All seem fine to me, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;" as the great Bard once said

[Bracken]

I think Nuinn and his contemporaries would have used the term druidism, wouldn't they, whereas the term in current popular usage is druidry.

So given Kate's definitions, does that mean we've moved from talking about it to doing it?

[DJ Droood]

You could say "I am Dru-ish". It sounds approproately vague and non-commital.

[Whitemane]

You could say "I am Dru-ish". It sounds approproately vague and non-commital.

Makes you sound like Drucilla from Buffy

[Treeshrew]

I definitely prefer 'Druidry', it's the term I first came across and for me 'Druidism' sounds a bit odd. Too much like an ideology for my liking, with the -ism bit at the end. One of the things I like most about Druidry is the emphasis on practice instead of belief, and Druidism, especially in the sense discussed above, definitely seems to emphasise shared belief more.

There's a very interesting blog-post on 'Bishop in the Grove' by Teo Bishop (an ADF and OBOD druid) about the difference bewteen the two terms here: http://www.bishopinthegrove.com/archive ... o-balance/

He talks about how 'Druidry' is more of a philosophical path, whereas 'Druidism' is more of a religious one:

I find that Druidry, OBOD style, places a greater emphasis on personal experience and personal revelation than ADF does (broadly speaking). The “what does it mean to me” question is central to Druidry, but not so much to Druidism.

So, for me as a non-religious non-theistic 'druid' (small 'd' because I'm not qualified yet!), it has to be Druidry. Plus I just prefer how it sounds, although I do like 'Dru-ish' as well!

[Aphritha]

I've gotten used to the term "Druidry" as it is the one I see more commonly used, but when I first stumbled upon Druidry, I wanted to call it Druidism, simply because that double R in Druidry made my mouth feel funny!

Try "rural".

I'm usually able to avoid that one by simply saying "the country".

[Ulchabhán]

I prefer the term Druidry. Druidism sounds far too much like an ideology to me also. Druidry implies a sort of craft, just like the words carpentry or embroidery do. To me the word Druidry connotes a craft of living, with its own beliefs and philosophy, rooted in and inspired by the ancient Druids, yet modern, willing to learn and able to face the future with confidence.

[Corwen]

Leaving aside any nuanced difference in meaning Druidism tends to be used by American/Canadian groups and Druidry by Brits.

[Whitemane]

Leaving aside any nuanced difference in meaning Druidism tends to be used by American/Canadian groups and Druidry by Brits.

In one of the Druidcast podcasts, the late Isaac Bonewitz made clear his preference for Druidism for the practices of the ADF.