R: Earliest Written Records of the Druids

Best Root Source I have for earliest recorded reference to the existence  of Druids and or the term.

Will this is not the earliest physical reference, it references the oldest known (lost) reference to the Druids.

We of course have General  Julius Caesar's words ( 58 BC to 50 BC ) in his 'Gallic Wars' (sixth book).


>>The Celts first get a mention by name in the sixth century BCE when a Greek, Hecateus, states that the Celts were neighbours of the Ligurians, and that a remarkable feature of their society is the social structure, which was a hallmark of that society. However, it is not until 200 BCE that the Druids get a mention, by another Greek called Sotion. His work 'Succession of Philosophers' was lost, but a reference was preserved by another writer Diogenes Laertius: There are among the Keltae and Galatae those called Druids and Semnotheoi...' (Semnotheoi were presumably Galatian priests).<<

>>''Diogenēs Laertios''; fl. c. 3rd century ) was a biographer of the Ancient Greece|Greek philosophers. Nothing is definitively known about his life, but his surviving ''Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers'' is a principal source for the history of Ancient Greek <<


https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9-YFAAAAQAAJ

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
by Diogenes Laertius Published 1853
Publisher H. G. Bohn


>>
 Druid (n.) Look up Druid at Dictionary.com
1560s, from French druide, from Latin druidae (plural), from Gaulish Druides, from Celtic compound *dru-wid-, probably representing Old Celtic *derwos "true"/PIE *dru- "tree" (especially oak; see tree (n.)) + *wid- "to know" (see vision). Hence, literally, perhaps, "they who know the oak" (perhaps in allusion to divination from mistletoe). Anglo-Saxon, too, used identical words to mean "tree" and "truth" (treow).

The English form comes via Latin, not immediately from Celtic. The Old Irish form was drui (dative and accusative druid; plural druad); Modern Irish and Gaelic draoi, genitive druadh "magician, sorcerer." Not to be confused with United Ancient Order of Druids, secret benefit society founded in London 1781.
Druidess (n.) Look up Druidess at Dictionary.com
1755, from Druid + -ess. Formerly, Druid had been used indifferently of both sexes.
Druidic (adj.) Look up Druidic at Dictionary.com
1773, from Druid + -ic. Related: Druidical.
Drusilla Look up Drusilla at Dictionary.com
fem. proper name, Latin fem. diminutive of Drusus, frequent surname in Livian gens, earlier Drausus, perhaps a Celtic word meaning literally "strong" (compare Old Celtic *dru- "oak," also "strong;" see Druid).
larch (n.) Look up larch at Dictionary.com
1540s, from German Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German *larihha, from Latin larix (genitive laricis), probably a loan-word from an Alpine Gaulish language, corresponding phonetically to Old Celtic *darik- "oak" (see Druid and tree).
magic (n.) Look up magic at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "art of influencing events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces," from Old French magique "magic, magical," from Late Latin magice "sorcery, magic," from Greek magike (presumably with tekhne "art"), fem. of magikos "magical," from magos "one of the members of the learned and priestly class," from Old Persian magush, possibly from PIE *magh- (1) "to be able, to have power" (see machine). Transferred sense of "legerdemain, optical illusion, etc." is from 1811. Displaced Old English wiccecræft (see witch); also drycræft, from dry "magician," from Irish drui "priest, magician" (see druid).

Ref. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0...

<<

The English form comes via Latin, not immediately from Celtic. The Old Irish form was drui (dative and accusative druid; plural druad); Modern Irish and Gaelic draoi, genitive druadh "magician, sorcerer." Not to be confused with United Ancient Order of Druids, secret benefit society founded in London 1781.
Druidess (n.) Look up Druidess at Dictionary.com
1755, from Druid + -ess. Formerly, Druid had been used indifferently of both sexes.
Druidic (adj.) Look up Druidic at Dictionary.com
1773, from Druid + -ic. Related: Druidical.
Drusilla Look up Drusilla at Dictionary.com
fem. proper name, Latin fem. diminutive of Drusus, frequent surname in Livian gens, earlier Drausus, perhaps a Celtic word meaning literally "strong" (compare Old Celtic *dru- "oak," also "strong;" see Druid).
larch (n.) Look up larch at Dictionary.com
1540s, from German Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German *larihha, from Latin larix (genitive laricis), probably a loan-word from an Alpine Gaulish language, corresponding phonetically to Old Celtic *darik- "oak" (see Druid and tree).
magic (n.) Look up magic at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "art of influencing events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces," from Old French magique "magic, magical," from Late Latin magice "sorcery, magic," from Greek magike (presumably with tekhne "art"), fem. of magikos "magical," from magos "one of the members of the learned and priestly class," from Old Persian magush, possibly from PIE *magh- (1) "to be able, to have power" (see machine). Transferred sense of "legerdemain, optical illusion, etc." is from 1811. Displaced Old English wiccecræft (see witch); also drycræft, from dry "magician," from Irish drui "priest, magician" (see druid).
Ref. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0...
<<

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>>
Vt in fronte huíus opuîculi Ngmen Tuum po
nerem, id .­cupidítate grati erga TE animi palam
oftendendi,' fum in primis monus. Numquam
‘enim oblivifcar dulcis illius (строп-15, quo fo
dalis philologici,_ qilodßoret fub Tuis aufpi-_ f
Liis jiny Friderico-Alexandrina, feminarii а Tuo
ore pe-(ndebam, et quò abs TE ad `amorem et
' cognitionem Graeciae phiìofophorum interiorem
fum adduéìzus, quorum quidam immortalia од репа adhuê fumma peruoluo cum,Y voluptate’
horis fubfeciuis.’ YAlique usqué ad cineres Ше
mor ero`patríi, quo me fouiftí, quumErlangae
degerem, amoris acque innumerqrum, quaedn me contulifìì,fbeneñciorum. Si quid анкет '
boni in hoc libello a me praeüicum eeft,` id А Tuurn exiítimes , indulgeasque velim beneuo
le'naeuis. Vale, faueque
<<

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FYI
Some old Dictionary lookups of the Term Drui / Druid, serves well to show how hard finding good roots can be.

1)
1) FOCALOlR GAOIDHELGE-SAX-BHEARLA
or an IRISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARY (1768)
(Druichdin, dew.
Druichdin, a kind of reptile.
Druid, a stare, in the Welsh it
is Dridu , & in the Armoric Dret
Druidim , to draw ; also to shut.
do dhruid led, he drew nigh to
them.
Druichean, pronounced Druiean
or Drl-en in two syllables,
signifies the black- thorn bush ; its
pronunciation as well as its cons
truction is like the accusative case
of the Greek word Drys , accus.
Dryn , the oak-tree.) 

I guess they did not like us.

2)


Results of the Welsh one (1805)



3)
A DICTIONARY, OF THE NORMAN OR OLD FRENCH LANGUAGE;
COLLECTED ГНОИ SUCH ACTS OF PARLIAMENT, PARLIAMENT ROLLS, JOURNALS,
ACTS OF STATE, RECORDS, LAW BOOKS, ANTIENT HISTORIANS, AND MANUSCRIPTS,
AS RELATE TO THIS NATION, CALCULATED
To illustrate the Rights and Customs of former Ages, the Forms of Lewa
and Jurisprudence, the Names of Dignities and Offices, of Persons
arid Places ; and to render the Reading of those Records,
Books and Manuscripts, which are written in that
Language, more easy ; as well as to restore
the true Sense and Meaning of many
Words, hitherto deemed quite
obscure or mistranslated,
By ROBERT KELHAM,
OP LINCOLNS-INN.
Multa ignoramus quoe non laterent, si vetcrum Leotio nobis esset familiar».
Wacrobius,
PHILADELPHIA:
T. &• J. W. JOHNSON, LAW BOOKSELLERS,
SUCCESSORS TO NJOKLIN AND JOHNSON,
No. 5 MINOR STBEET,
1843.

(Guess they did not like us anymore).

4)

O'Rellay's Irish -English Dictionary

At Last we get a better reference !

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The Great Epic Ages of the Pagans and Druids.

 Neo :

 A very normal and widely accepted differentiation of some sort of Historic development.

Certainly the Druidic Priest Cast of the Bronze Age or the Fili and Brehon of old Éire can not be considered the same as a Neo-Druid of a Modern Order today!

neo- or sometimes before a vowel ne-
combining form
1. (sometimes capital) new, recent, or a new or modern form or development: neoclassicism; neocolonialism.
2. (Geological Science) (usually capital) the most recent subdivision of a geological period: Neogene.
[from Greek neos new] (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/neo

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Paleopaganism or Paleo-Paganism:

A general term for the original polytheistic, nature-centered faiths of tribal Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Australia, when they were (or in some rare cases, still are) practiced as intact belief systems. Of the so-called “Great Religions of the World,”Hinduism (prior to the influx of Islam into India), Taoism and Shinto, for example, fall under this category, though many members of these faiths might be reluctant to use the term. Some Paleopagan belief systems may be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are billions of Paleopagans living and worshiping their deities today. See Mesopaganism and Neopaganism. R1

Mesopaganism or Meso-Paganism:

A general term for a variety of movements both organized and nonorganized, started as attempts to recreate, revive or continue what their founders thought were the best aspects of the Paleopagan ways of their ancestors (or predecessors), but which were heavily influenced (accidentally, deliberately and/or involuntarily) by concepts and practices from the monotheistic, dualistic, or nontheistic worldviews of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or early Buddhism. Examples of Mesopagan belief systems would include Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, etc., as well as those forms ofDruidism influenced by those movements, the many Afro-Diasporatic faiths (such asVoudoun, Santeria, Candomble, etc.), Sikhism, several sects of Hinduism that have been influenced by Islam and Christianity, Mahayana Buddhism, Aleister Crowley’s religion/philosophy of Thelema, Odinism (most Norse Paganism), most “Family Traditions” of Witchcraft (those that aren’t completely fake), and most orthodox (aka “British Traditionalist”) denominations of Wicca. Some Mesopagan belief systems may be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are at least a billion Mesopagans living and worshiping their deities today. See Paleopaganism and Neopaganism. R1

Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism:

A general term for a variety of movements both organized and (usually) nonorganized, started since 1960 c.e. or so (though they had literary roots going back to the mid-1800’s), as attempts to recreate, revive or continue what their founders thought were the best aspects of the Paleopagan ways of their ancestors (or predecessors), blended with modern humanistic, pluralist and inclusionary ideals, while consciously striving to eliminate as much as possible of the traditional Western monotheism, dualism, and puritanism. The core Neopagan beliefs include a multiplicity of deities of all genders, a perception of those deities as both immanent and transcendent, a commitment to environmental awareness, and a willingness to perform magical as well as spiritual rituals to help both ourselves and others. Examples of Neopaganism would include the Church of All Worlds, most heterodox Wiccan traditions, Druidism as practiced by Ár nDraíocht Féin and the Henge of Keltria, some Norse Paganism, and some modern forms of Buddhism whose members refer to themselves as “Buddheo-Pagans.” Neopagan belief systems are not racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are hundreds of thousands of Neopagans living and worshiping their deities today. As “Neo-Paganism,” this term was popularized in the 1960’s and 1970’s by Oberon Zell, a founder of the Church of All Worlds. R1

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Also see: 

Pagan / Druid P's and T'shttp://howtobeadruid.blogspot.com/2015/02/pagan-druid-ps-and-ts.html

References:

References: R1

1) The following is a list of technical words and phrases originally taken from the first three editions of Real Magic. (Issac Bonewits)

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