The Druids

The Druids

"In this compelling and highly reliable study of the Druids, respected Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis sifts through the historical evidence and, with reference to the latest archaeological and etymological findings, gives the first authentic account of who the mysterious Druids were and what role they played in Celtic society." "The Druids emerge as the intellectual caste of ancient Celtic society. They were the doctors, the lawyers, the ambassadors, the advisers to kings. They also had a religious function. Ellis describes the special Druidic training, their philosophy, their belief in auguries, and their intriguing origins. He also shows that the current "New Age" image of the Druids as benevolent wizards comes from a woefully inadequate interpretation of the facts."--Jacket.

Peter Berresford Ellis

Introduction: Identifying the Druids -- The Celtic world -- Origins of the Druids -- Druids through foreign eyes -- Druids through Celtic eyes -- Female Druids -- The religion of the Druids -- The rituals of the Druids -- The wisdom of the Druids -- Reviving the Druids.

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