Synopsis
Still regarded with affection in the popular imagination, the druids, at the height of their power in Celtic Britain, were known for their love of nature and for worshipping heroes and ancestors. Signs of their renown are still clearly marked: in guidebooks, place-names of the countryside, and most visibly, in such structures as Stonehenge. The English historian T. D. Kendrick - widely cited in many studies of druids and druidism presents a well-documented summary of druidic culture, offering a detailed account of the racial history, prehistory, and social atmosphere of early Gallic and British civilisation. Amply illustrated with rare maps, jewellery, pottery, wall carvings, stone inscriptions, time-worn foundations and burial grounds, the text considers the many theories of the origin of druidism, its early mention by Greek and Roman writers (ca. 52 B.C.), and the temples and religious practices of these ancient people. A thorough study of a fascinating topic, this book will appeal to anthropologists, folklore enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the early religious and cultural life of Celtic Britain.
