The Intriguing Historical Origins Of D&D Paladins & Druids

The Intriguing Historical Origins Of D&D Paladins & Druids

Contents

Before they were Dungeons & Dragons classes, “Paladins” were a band of heroes in “The Song Of Roland”, and “Druids” were priests of the Celts.

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The Intriguing Historical Origins Of D&D Paladins & Druids

Nowadays, people are mostly aware of “Paladins” and “Druids” in the context of fantasy tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons; the Paladin is a holy warrior who can bolster their allies and smite the wicked with the power of faith, while Dungeons & Dragons’ Druids are spell-casters with nature-manipulating powers and the ability to shape-shift into different animals. Historical Paladins and Druids, as detailed in ancient historical accounts and medieval romances, were a bit more complicated than their modern archetypes suggest. Rather than being a universal class of hero, they were, by most accounts, institutions, integral parts of the Celtic/Carolingian cultures they came from.

Both the Paladin and Druid character classes were first introduced in early D&D supplements before being codified in the 1st edition Player’s Handbook of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. In D&D 5th edition, the Paladin is a hybrid of a Fighter, with their mastery of weapons and armor, and a Cleric, with their ability to wield divine magic. Paladins are portrayed as drawing divine power from the Oaths they swear and keep, among which are “Knight In Shining Armor” oaths to protect the innocent, quasi-druidic oaths to preserve life, laughter, and song in the world, or “Dark Avenger” oaths to avenge great wrongs. Druids in D&D 5e are portrayed as magical environmentalists, rejecting the trapping of civilization in order to better maintain the balance of the world. To this end, Druids wield magic that channels the powers of storms, makes plants grow, and lets them shape-shift into other animals.

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It’s safe to say modern depictions of Paladins and Druids in fantasy RPGs and video games are very stylized and far removed from reality (even discounting their use of magic with spectacular visual effects). The medieval romances and ancient histories featuring the terms “Paladin” and “Druid” have their own stylization issues as well, being written by Christians trying to promote Christian faith at the expense of accuracy or ambitious generals trying to hype up their military victories. Still, with critical reading and the comparison of sources, it’s possible to glimpse Paladins and Druids in their original forms – forms different in surprising ways from their modern incarnations.

The Original Paladins, As Detailed In “The Song Of Roland” And Other “Matters Of France”

The Intriguing Historical Origins Of D&D Paladins & Druids

The Poul Anderson fantasy novel Three Hearts And Lions, a tales of medieval knights, wizards, and faeries credited with inspiring the depiction of Paladins in D&D, itself was inspired by “The Matter Of France,” a genre of medieval romances, poems, and epics similar in style to the legends of King Arthur, but focused around King Charlemagne. In these tales of courtly love and gallant knighthood are found the earliest uses of the word “Paladin,” a phrase used to refer to the twelve “officers of the palace” who fought for King Charlemagne and defended his kingdom. The most famous of these Paladins or “12 Peers” is Roland, wielder of the magic sword called Durandal and the war horn called Oliphant, whose quasi-historical last stand against an army of Saracens was immortalized in The Song Of Roland (readable on the Fordham University website).

The modern depiction of Dungeons & Dragons Paladins as holy warriord owes a lot to the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, and other Christian knightly orders who fought in the Crusades. However, the D&D 5e “Oath Of The Crown” Paladin sub-class (introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything) returns the title of “Paladin” to its roots as a term for knights of a royal guard, devoted to protecting their king/queen and country.

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The Original Druids, As Detailed In Irish/Welsh Tales And Roman Histories

“Druids” were first mentioned in the historical record by Julius Caesar in his book Commentaries On The Gallic War,” an autobiographical account of the years he spent leading Roman Legions into battle against the people of Gaul (and Britain, briefly). According to Caesar, the Druids were priests, judges for criminal cases/civil disputes, studied the movements of stars, and officiants for religious rituals and sacrifices.

Most infamously, Caesar describes the Druids burning humans alive within a massive “Wicker Man” (though some historians suspect Caesar made up or exaggerated this detail). The World History Encyclopedia article on Druids also cites Pliny the Elder, a Roman author who described how Druids revered mistletoe and harvested it during holy intervals of the lunar cycle with golden sickles.

Centuries after the the writings of Roman scholars and statesmen, Irish and Welsh writers referenced Druids in epic myths such as The Tain or The Fenian Cycle – men and women who could cast spells, brew potions, empower heroes with magical “Geas” vows, and transform themselves into any animal. The Druids seen in modern games and RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons draw their spell-casting abilities from their depictions in Irish/Welsh myth, while their reputation as uncivilized, nature-worshipping, mistletoe-wielding sages owes a lot to Caesar and Pliny’s paternalistic depiction of them as “noble savages.” The new “Circle of Stars” Druid subclass for D&D 5e (again introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) brings back a facet of the Druids rarely mentioned in modern media: their knowledge and consultation of stars and constellations.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-class-paladin-druid-real-history-origins/

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