Lesson 7 - Triads

This is the seventh lesson in the free druidry course of the Druid Order of Tristram.

Triads are a series of sayings written in three consecutive lines. The three-line writing form is thought to have been a mnemonic device for Bards. The prevalent heraldic tradition required a better method for recall. Triads were used to inform and educate as well as to guide people in the best course of action. The earliest triads date from pre-Saxon invasion literature. It is supposed that the triadic form may reflect ancient Celtic beliefs of the mystique of the number 3. According to Celtic myth, the number connoted three goddesses; there were many different groups of three goddesses for varying situations represented differing deities.

1) Three strange things in the world:
- Loving war more than peace,
- Loving excess more than sufficiency,
- And loving falsehood more than truth.

2) New beliefs are like new seedlings because:
- They need care and cultivation to grow,
- They get stronger with age,
- And they eventually spread seeds of new knowledge.

3) There are three things excellent among worldly affairs:
- Hating folly,
- Loving excellence,
- And endeavouring to constantly learn.

4) How one pays respect to the departed:
- With sorrow and respect,
- Admire their good deeds and achievements,
- Be happy and rejoice at having known them.

5) Three things from which one should never be moved:
- One's oaths,
- One's god(s),
- And the truth.

6) Where is the Power of Nature:
- In the cleansing forces of storms,
- In the sprout of a new seedling,
- And in the solar rays of the sun.

7) Three people deserving of admiration:
- Those who love on the beauty of the Earth,
- On little children,
- On a great piece of art.

8) What are the true religions:
- The ones that provide good guidance in life,
- The ones which reveal the power of nature,
- And the ones which allow freedom of will.

9) Three things, for which thanks are due, because that is as easy as a reward:
- An invitation,
- A gift,
- And a warning.