As the sun rises on a fall morning in 55 BCE, Camma lays two pigeons on the altar at the center of her village. She offers a prayer to Matrona mother goddess of the Earth, and Lugus chief of the gods. Then, she wrings the birds’ necks and cuts them open to examine their entrails for divine messages.
Saat matahari terbit di suatu pagi di musim gugur tahun 55 SM, Camma meletakkan dua ekor merpati di altar di pusat desa. Ia mempersembahkan doa kepada Matrona dewi Bumi, dan Lugus, pemimpin para dewa. Lalu ia memuntir leher burung-burung itu dan membedahnya untuk memeriksa isi perutnya untuk mendapat wahyu.
Camma is a druid. This means she conducts religious rites, but she also serves as a judge, healer, and scholar, teaching children and mediating conflict between Celtic tribes. She began her studies as a child, memorizing the countless details necessary to perform her many roles, since the druids’ knowledge is considered too sacred to record in writing.
Camma adalah seorang druid. Artinya ia menjalankan ritual religius, tapi juga bertugas sebagai hakim, penyembuh dan akademisi, mengajari anak-anak dan melerai konflik antara suku-suku Celtic. Ia memulai pendidikannya sejak masih kanak-kanak, menghafal banyak detail yang diperlukan untuk menjalankan tugas-tugasnya, sebab pengetahuan druid dianggap terlalu suci untuk dituliskan.
Like many druids, she spent years studying in Britain. Now, she is a resident Druid of the Veneti tribe in a small farming village near the western coast of Gaul, in what is now France. Since returning to Gaul, she has received many offers of marriage– but she has decided to devote herself to her work, at least for now.
Layaknya banyak druid, ia menghabiskan bertahun-tahun belajar di Britania. Sekarang, ia adalah druid tetap dari suku Veneti di desa pertanian kecil di dekat sebelah barat pesisir Gaul, yang sekarang adalah Perancis. Sejak kembali ke Gaul, ia menerima banyak tawaran pernikahan- namun ia memutuskan untuk mengabdikan diri pada pekerjaannya, setidaknya saat ini.
This morning, the omens are troubling. They tell of war and strife, as they often have in recent months. A neighboring tribe, the Redones, have raided their village and stolen cattle in broad daylight twice this fall.
Pagi ini, pertanda buruk. Akan ada perang dan perselisihan, seperti yang sering terjadi akhir-akhir ini. Suku tetangga, para Redone, menjarah desa mereka dan mencuri ternak di siang bolong dua kali musim gugur ini.
The children have gathered around to watch her work. Camma plays her lyre and sings to them. She weaves stories of the powerful kings who once ruled their land – brave warriors who were slain naked in combat but who will be reborn, as will all the Celts.
Anak-anak berkumpul melihatnya bekerja. Camma memainkan liranya dan bernyanyi untuk mereka. Ia bercerita tentang raja-raja hebat yang pernah berkuasa di wilayah mereka - para pejuang pemberani yang gugur dalam pertarungan tapi akan bangkit lagi, seperti semua Celt.
When the children go off to help in the fields, Camma heads across the village to visit an old woman with an eye infection. On the way to the old woman’s hut, she passes men salting pigs for the winter food supply and women weaving clothing from dyed wool. She delivers a remedy for the injured eye– it’s made from mistletoe, a sacred healing plant, but deadly if used incorrectly.
Ketika anak-anak pergi untuk membantu di ladang, Camma pergi melintasi desa mengunjungi seorang wanita tua yang infeksi mata. Dalam perjalanan menuju pondok wanita itu, ia melewati para pria sedang menggarami daging babi untuk cadangan musim dingin dan para wanita menenun kain dari benang wol yang diwarnai. Ia mengantarkan obat untuk mata yang sakit- terbuat dari mistletoe, tanaman penyembuh suci, namun mematikan bila salah menggunakan.
From there, Camma visits the chieftain to discuss the omens. She convinces him to go and talk through their problems with their neighbors. Accompanied by several warriors, they head through the forest and demand a meeting outside the Redones’ village walls. The Redones’ representatives bring their own druid, who Camma recognizes from the annual gathering in central Gaul where head druids are elected. The chieftains immediately begin to argue and threaten each other. Camma steps between the opposing sides to stop them from fighting— they must honor her authority. Finally, the Redones agree to pay Camma’s tribe several cattle. In spite of this resolution, Camma still feels uneasy on the long walk home. As they approach the village walls, a bright streak shoots across the sky— another omen, but of what?
Dari sana, Camma mengunjungi kepala suku untuk membicarakan pertanda. Ia meyakinkannya untuk membicarakan permasalahan dengan tetangga mereka. Ditemani oleh beberapa prajurit, mereka menuju ke hutan dan meminta diadakan pertemuan di luar tembok desa Redone. Para wakil Redone membawa druid mereka sendiri, yang dikenali Camma dari pertemuan tahunan di pusat Gaul di mana para pemimpin druid dipilih. Para kepala suku segera mulai berdebat dan saling mengancam. Camma menengahi kedua pihak yang berlawanan agar tidak berkelahi— mereka harus menghargai otoritasnya. Akhirnya, Redone setuju untuk membayar desa Camma beberapa ternak. Meski demikian, Camma masih merasa resah dalam perjalanan pulang. Saat mereka mencapai tembok desa, muncul garis bercahaya melintas di langit— pertanda lain lagi, tapi apa?
Back home, Camma sits among the elders for her evening meal of porridge, a bit of meat, and a cup of wine. While they were out during the day, an intercepted parchment arrived. Camma recognizes the writing immediately. Although the druids are forbidden from recording their knowledge, she and many other young druids can read Latin. From the message, she learns that the Romans are drawing closer to their lands. Some of the elders say that the tribe should flee to the nearby hills and hide, but Camma counsels them to trust in the gods and remain in their home.
Di rumah, Camma duduk di antara para tetua untuk makan malam bubur, sedikit daging dan secangkir anggur. Sementara mereka pergi di siang hari, selembar perkamen tiba. Camma langsung mengenali tulisannya. Meski para druid dilarang mencatat pengetahuannya, ia dan banyak druid muda lain bisa membaca bahasa Latin. Dari pesan itu, ia mengetahui bahwa para Romawi semakin mendekati tanah mereka. Sebagian tetua berkata mereka harus lari ke bukit terdekat dan sembunyi, namun Camma menyarankan untuk percaya pada para dewa dan tetap tinggal di rumah.
Privately, she has her doubts. Should the Romans reach them, her power to help might be limited. Unlike the other Celtic tribes, Roman legions have no regard for the druids’ sacred role as peacemakers. Before going to bed, she observes the course of the planets and consults her charts, trying to make sense of the meteor she saw earlier. The signs are converging on a larger threat than their neighbors.
Dalam hati, ia ragu. Seandainya para Romawi mencapai mereka, kekuatannya untuk menolong terbatas. Tidak seperti suku-suku Celtic yang lain, pasukan Romawi tidak menganggap peran druid sebagai pendamai. Sebelum berangkat tidur, ia mengamati pergerakan planet dan berkonsultasi pada diagramnya, mencoba memahami meteor yang ia lihat sebelumnya. Tanda-tanda berkumpul pada ancaman yang lebih besar daripada tetangga mereka.