Rethinking the Ancient Druids
An Archaeological Perspective
Author(s) Miranda Aldhouse-Green
Language: English
Genre(s): Archaeology
Series: New Approaches to Celtic Religion and Mythology
- September 2021 · 224 pages ·216x138mm
- · Paperback - 9781786837974
- · eBook - pdf - 9781786837981
- · eBook - epub - 9781786837998
About The Book
Ancient Classical authors have painted the Druids in a bad light, defining them as a barbaric priesthood, who 2,000 years ago perpetrated savage and blood rites in ancient Britain and Gaul in the name of their gods. Archaeology tells a different and more complicated story of this enigmatic priesthood, a theocracy with immense political and sacred power. This book explores the tangible ‘footprint’ the Druids have left behind: in sacred spaces, art, ritual equipment, images of the gods, strange burial rites and human sacrifice. Their material culture indicates how close was the relationship between Druids and the spirit-world, which evidence suggests they accessed through drug-induced trance.
Endorsements
Rethinking the Ancient Druids is a truly invaluable resource for those interested in Celtic studies. While it is a scholarly text, it is by no means inaccessible to the general public. It is rife with beautiful photos of archaeological artefacts that the general public might not otherwise get a chance to see. The bibliography and thorough notes should provide any curious reader with a far larger reading list, while also attesting to the deep level of research that Aldhouse-Green has done. While we may never know precisely who the ancient druids were, and what they believed - this book does provide a more thorough and precise understanding of them than we have previously had. Like Chadwick’s book before, this one shall certainly turn into a classic within its field. - Folklore Podcast
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Preface
PROLOGUE: The untouched Cave
CH. 1: Time and Space: contextualizing Druids in the ancient world
CH. 2: Barbarians and Wise Men: rethinking Classical texts
CH. 3: Spiritual Spaces: rites and beliefs in Iron Age Britain and Gaul
CH. 4: Images and Symbols: sacred art and the Druids
CH. 5: Welsh Connections: spotlight on Druidic Wales
CH. 6: A Holy War: Boudica and the Druids against Rome
CH. 7: Reading Runes and Telling Spoons: divining the divine
CH. 8: Druids and Deities: changing spirits in Roman Gaul and Britain
CH. 9: Ideas of Afterlife: death, burial and reincarnation
EPILOGUE: The Untouched Cave Revisited
BIBLIOGRAPHY