Caesar's Druids : An Ancient Priesthood

by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

• ISBN13: 9780300124422
• ISBN10: 0300124422
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2010-04-27
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Ancient chroniclers, including Julius Caesar himself, made the Druids and their sacred rituals infamous throughout the Western world. But in fact, as Miranda Aldhouse-Green shows in this fascinating book, the Druids' day-to-day lives were far less lurid and much more significant. Exploring the various roles that Druids played in British and Gallic society during the first centuries B.C. and A.D.not just as priests but as judges, healers, scientists, and power brokersAldhouse-Green argues that they were a highly complex, intellectual, and sophisticated group whose influence transcended religion and reached into the realms of secular power and politics. With deep analysis, fresh interpretations, and critical discussions, she gives the Druids a voice that resonates in our own time.

Author Biography

Miranda Aldhouse-Green is professor of archaeology, Cardiff University. A world expert on Druids, her publications include Exploring the World of the Druids, Dying for the Gods, The Celtic World, and Boudica Britannia.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. viii
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Preface	p. xv
The Moon and the Mistletoe: In Search of Ancient Druids	p. 1
Noble Savages and Barbarous Enemies	p. 20
Priests and Power	p. 39
Blood, Thunder and Precious Gifts: The Druids and Sacrifice	p. 59
Druids, Oracles and Shamans	p. 81
The Time Lords: Calendars, Festivals and Sacred Knowledge	p. 105
Holy Ground: Sanctuaries and Sacred Landscapes	p. 124
The Druids' Toolkit: Regalia and Ritual Equipment	p. 146
Druids and Doctrine: Earth, Spirit and Underworld	p. 169
Images and Tombs: Druids Face to Face?	p. 186
Gender Matters: Druids, Druidesses and Gender-crossers	p. 210
Druids Underground: Rebellion, Resistance and Revitalisation in the Western Roman Provinces	p. 231
Epilogue: Druid Afterlife	p. 251
Notes	p. 268
Bibliography	p. 300
Index	p. 321
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